


All We Know

by OliviaJacobs



Series: We Could Be Beautiful [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: A little rough sex here and there, Anger, Angst, Awkward Conversations, Best Friends, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Confusion, Drunken Confessions, Dubiously Consensual Blow Jobs, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Gladio and Mia are a whole bucket of feelings, If you watched Kingsglaive you'll know where this is going, Internal Conflict, Jealousy, Kingsglaive Spoilers, Loss, Mixed Signals, Nipple Licking, Penis In Vagina Sex, Road Trip, Sexual Confusion, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, Vanilla, post-Kingsglaive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2018-12-23 04:08:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11981823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliviaJacobs/pseuds/OliviaJacobs
Summary: After departing from Insomnia by Nyx Ulric's request, Mia Cameron journeys to her home in Lestallum. Being away from her boyfriend, Nyx, won't be an easy task but it is only for a few days.Meanwhile, Mia hasn't spoken to her best friend, Gladio, in months after a huge fight happened between them. In her heart, she hopes that she doesn't have to see Gladio along the way.But, the fates have other ideas.





	1. Down and Down We Go

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone :)  
> First off, thank you for taking the time to read! I appreciate you!  
> Also, mad props to everyone who writes on this website. It is not an easy task but I adore reading your stories.
> 
> Last part of this series was a fun one to write and everyone was amazing with comments and kudos and ideas. 
> 
> This is Part II of We Could Be Beautiful. I encourage you to read Let's Show Them We Are Better, personally, but you are not required! 
> 
> A quick catchup for those that need the context: Mia and Gladio are best friends. Gladio does not like Nyx because of a rough history between them. Mia starts to fall for Nyx and visa versa. They keep their relationship a secret from Gladio until the time is right which is a poor choice. Gladio finds out anyway and distances himself from Mia. After months of not speaking to one another, Mia puts her focus into her blossoming relationship with Nyx. 
> 
> While Insomnia is starting to gear up for The Treaty being signed, Nyx asks Mia to leave to keep her safe so she doesn't end up like his best friend, Crowe. Reluctantly, Mia agrees and Nyx promises to meet her in a few days. The story begins on her drive out of Insomnia.

The morning drive out of Insomnia was both bittersweet and surreal. For years, Mia Cameron had stayed in Insomnia and never thought once that she would be leaving by herself. The last time she had moved through the city was when she was confident she had found a permanent home. In a rush decision, she had left her boyfriend, Nyx Ulric, in the comfort of her rearview mirror at his request. In her heart, she knew that Nyx would be in her arms again in just a few short days but the wait was starting to gnaw at her. 

The city was beginning to shift drastically and Nyx almost begged her to return to her home in Lestallum. Nyx had lost his best friend, Crowe, a few days prior and that shifted his entire view of his girlfriend, Mia. He couldn’t live with himself if something were to happen to her and after a few serious pleas, Mia agreed to get out of the city while he handled his business with the Kingsglaive. 

The knot that formed in her stomach was mostly out of fear. Fear that something awful would happen to her or Nyx while they were separated. But, a lot of her fear stemmed from her worry about running into her best friend, Gladio. Gladio and MIa, before a relationship budded between her and Nyx, were completely inseparable. They never left one another’s side and spent their evenings drunk on craft beers and one another’s company. When Gladio learned of Nyx’s relationship with Mia, their friendship shifted into complete silence and betrayal. The secret was held for a week and as each day passed, Gladio became more and more skeptical of their friendship. Mia truly believed that waiting to tell Gladio about Nyx at the right time was the right thing to do but instead, she ended up causing waves in an already unstable friendship. It had been a few months since the two spoke to one another. As much as it pained Mia to keep her distance from Gladio, she respected giving him the space he desired.

Now that she was on the open road through Eos, she would run the risk of seeing Gladio and couldn’t even fathom speaking to him. But, the rational part of her remembered how big Eos was and that the chances of seeing her best friend, if that’s what he still considered himself, were slim. 

The old car that Mia drove sputtered against the road leading up to the entrance of Insomnia. She quickly identified the familiar faces, expressed her reasoning for leaving, and was quickly seen through to the other side of the checkpoint. It took her a few feet before she gently pushed on the brake and took one last look at Insomnia. It was just a few days. It was just a little amount of time. Nyx would be at her side before she knew it and they would be able to spend a few days away from the chaos in Lestallum. She just needed to make it there. 

The sun reflected against her matte black hood as she used her free hand to fish around her passenger seat for her case of CDs. While the radio didn’t work, the CD player had no problem playing her favorite tunes. Without looking, she grabbed the first CD that she could feel and popped it into the slit. After her car did a few moments of thinking, nostalgic music started to play through half of her car speakers. It was as if she was driving into Insomnia all over again but this time, she was going in a different direction.

\---------------------

It didn’t take her too long to reach Hammerhead. The famous logo stood atop a spinning sign that caught the sun’s light which each turn. It stood exactly how Mia remembered it. The large garage with surrounding cars, the convenience store, and the diner where Takka made some of the best jambalaya that Mia had ever had the pleasure of eating. When she pulled her car to the gas pump, a bubbly blonde strolled over with a bright smile on her face. 

“Howdy!” The girl yelled, connecting one hand to her hip. Mia got out of the car to get a closer look to who was speaking to her. The girl had bright yellow curls flowing out of her red cap and an outfit that was more revealing than Mia was used to. However, she remembered how warm Hammerhead was once the heat hit against her face and she would probably be wearing the same if she could.

“Hi, there.” Mia mumbled, pulling open her gas tank door. 

“Hm.” The girl walked around the car to survey it, placing a finger to her lips while contemplating her next response. “This old girl has seen a lot, huh?” 

Mia smiled proudly. “Oh, yeah. I have had her for many years.” 

“Insomnia plates, huh? Interesting,” The girl bent down to run her fingers over the raised letters on the plates. “I just had someone come through from that way. Very sweet boys.”

“Oh.” Mia’s heart sank to her stomach, feeling the knots tighten. “About when?” 

“Yesterday. They were heading to Galdin Quay, last I checked. Nice group of boys. Celebrating their friend’s last week as a bachelor. I think it’s a mighty fine thing to do for your friends before the big day, don’t you think?”

Every word she said, her heart was pulled in different directions and all she could think of was Gladio’s face, smiling like an idiot. Part of her felt a slight amount of jealousy that Cindy could see the group but Mia knew that she was being completely irrational.

“So, where are ya headed?” The girl broke the few beats of silence between them. 

“Lestallum for a few days.”

“Mm. I don’t think that you’ll get too far, darlin’. Mind if I take a look at her? No charge for checkin’, I promise.” 

“You know what? Yeah. I think that sounds like a good plan. Might as well while I am here.” 

“I’ll even fill her up for ya. Why don’t you go grab a quick bite over at the diner? Takka’s making something good today, I just know it,” She paused, shocked by her own response and immediately stuck her hand out to Mia. “Where are my manners? The name’s Cindy. I take care of my Paw Paw’s garage most of the time.” 

Taking Cindy’s hand in her own, Mia smiled. “Mia Cameron. Nice to meet you, Cindy.”

\---------------------

Takka had a moment where he looked at Mia as if he knew her when she got to the counter, but quickly dismissed it when she opened her mouth to order. She did what she always did and told him to decide for her as he knew his menu the best. Clearly the first time he had been told this, Takka smiled brightly and rushed her off to a booth to wait. 

The Hammerhead Diner was bigger than most of the off-road diners. It was close to Insomnia so their traffic ranged from completely dead to so busy that the diner was absolute chaos depending on the day. Today, it wasn’t busy at all and the only other human besides Mia and Takka was an older gentleman that drank his coffee, read through the newspaper, and smiled brightly at the headlines while humming to the tune playing over the speakers. While she waited, Mia pulled out her phone to see if anyone had contacted her. One message notification was brought to the locked screen from Nyx that he sent earlier in the morning. 

_Miss you, beautiful. I’ll call you soon._

With a smile, Mia typed back a short response. _Miss you, hero. I made it to Hammerhead. I can’t wait to see you._

After a few minutes, Takka sauntered over to Mia’s booth with a plate of warm food that smelled heavenly. When the plate was put in front of her, Mia handed Takka what she considered would be enough and then some for tip. As quickly as her food came, it disappeared entirely from her plate in a few large bites. It looked like a standard steak and fries but the meat was so tender and juicy that Mia couldn’t help herself. 

“How was it?” Takka called from the counter.

“I hated it.” Mia responded with a smile, tilting her plate to show the completely cleaned surface. Takka couldn’t help but release a chuckle before turning his back to prep the rest of the food for the day. 

It only took about an hour for Mia to hear Cindy’s sweet drawl echo through the diner looking for her. Mia was quick to her feet and walked outside to the garage where her car was parked. Cindy explained, in detail, what needed to be done to make it to Lestallum without a hitch. When Mia inquired about the pricing, she was shocked to learn that it wasn’t as much as she had thought it would be. It would only take Cindy and hour or two to get it up and running for her trip. However, Cindy made Mia promise to bring it back for a full inspection when she returned to Insomnia. The radio would have to wait as well as the serpentine belt that had worn itself so thin that Cindy wasn’t entirely sure it would make it back without snapping. 

After Mia agreed to the initial installments, she ended up sticking around the garage and talking to Cindy. Cindy was talkative, positive, and genuinely interested in listening to Mia as she worked. It didn’t take long for Mia to start saying Gladio’s name without her voice shaking. Cindy nodded as she listened, keeping her commentary to herself about how she viewed Gladio. The conversation eventually shifted to Mia wanting to know about Cindy and how Hammerhead came to be. It didn’t take long for Cindy to go through the entire history, pride in her voice, and explain how everything happened until now.

When the car was finished, Mia paid the necessary gil and looked towards the sky. If she left in the next few minutes, she would be able to make it to her next destination. It would be a race against the clock, but if she didn’t stop, she would be in Alstor Slough before the sun went into hiding. It was important, too, as she promised Nyx she wouldn’t be on the road at night. If she did, she would risk being face to face with deamons and she wasn’t equipped to fight for her life. 

When she started to drive through the desert of The Three Valleys, she felt more comfortable being behind the wheel. The car was purring rather than sputtering and it seemed to have changed into an entirely new vehicle. The talk with Cindy helped, too, being able to release some of her secret thoughts to a stranger she had just met. Knowing that Gladio was in Galdin meant that the chances of them seeing one another was almost impossible. The drive from Galdin to Altissia wouldn’t intersect but instead would put them on the other side of the Disc of Cauthess. Mia would be staying one evening at the trailer in Alstor Slough which would be silly for the boys to even stop at during that time.

\---------------------

When the weather shifted to light rainfall, Mia knew she was close. She could remember the same little signs as if it was yesterday. Seeing the billboard for Wiz’s Chocobo Farm made her smile as she passed and with about an hour left until nightfall, she easily made it to her destination. The bright lights that fended off the deamons were welcoming and shined beautifully against the dusk sky. 

Getting into the trailer was easy and Mia made herself right at home. She preferred a hotel, but at this point, she couldn’t complain too much given how much time she saved for the day. There was a quick text sent to Nyx before Mia made herself comfortable in the corner bed. It seemed empty without anyone else with her, but the soft sounds of the Slough outside helped carry her to sleep. Her dreams in the last few months ranged from intensely passionate ones about Gladio where she was either screaming in his face or dragging her nails down his tan, muscular back in desire. It caused her to question her feelings for Gladio and though she felt successful in rationalize it, she sometimes wondered if the weight on her heart was missing her friend or wishing he was more.

This time, however, she was with Nyx in Lestallum, holding his hand and allowing the city to paint their scenery. The sounds of the market and hearing Nyx’s chuckle against her ear made her sleep deeply. While he wasn’t with her yet, she felt safe knowing that he would be by her side soon. 

What Mia didn’t realize was the need for a detour from the band of brothers. Not having a working radio meant that Mia wouldn’t be able to hear of the fall of Insomnia or that her boyfriend sacrificed his life that evening into dawn. She had no idea that the trip for the boys turned from a fun bachelor week to a truly depressed trip that would have all of them on edge. While the radios in the diner blasted the news, Mia slept soundly in the trailer and was completely unmoved by the conversations happening just outside.

\---------------------

The sound of the trailer door opening stirred Mia out of her slumber. It was early afternoon the next day and a kind young gentleman had stumbled upon an unlocked door. Mia’s body was wrapped tightly in a blanket with her head poking out onto the pillow. Her dark hair cascaded around her with her makeup still on from the night before.

“Occupied.” She mumbled under the covers. “Please let me sleep a little longer.”

“Miss Cameron?” A familiar voice echoed back to her. 

Mia’s eyes flew open and she bolted upright to find herself staring at Ignis Scientia. Before she left Insomnia, she hadn’t seen Ignis for months due to the friction between her and Gladio. When Gladio’s friendship with Mia was better, she spent her free time in The Citadel library with Ignis to learn about the history of Eos. When their noses weren’t buried deep into books, Ignis practiced some of his recipes with Mia before presenting them to Prince Noctis. They weren’t as close as Gladio and Mia, but Ignis was always there to lend an ear to her. The last time they did speak was over text message to check in on one another a day before Crowe died. Mia remembered she promised herself that she would continue to talk to Ignis and maybe even seen him again one day, regardless of the state of her and Gladio. 

Now, Ignis stood in front of her adorned with a black suit and a black paisley button up shirt. He wore his famous gloves, too. It was a little bit more formal than Mia had remembered. A smile started to form on her face until she gazed into Ignis’s eyes. Behind his glasses, he looked at Mia as if he saw a ghost. His skin went white at the sight of her which caused Mia to shake her head in confusion. The sun that shined behind him leaked into the trailer but barely touched Mia’s bed.

“Iggy? What’s wrong?” 

Ignis stood there, in response, continuing to stare at her. After a few moments, Ignis closed the door behind him, walked over to her calmly, and pulled Mia into a tight hug without permission. He was never one to express too many emotions as he wanted to be the most focused of the group. Reluctantly, Mia reached up to throw her arms around Ignis to return the embrace. The longer they sat there, the tighter Ignis squeezed her as if he hadn’t seen her in years. It had only been a few months and while Mia was ecstatic to see him, she didn’t understand his reaction. Her stomach was starting to tighten, too, knowing that Ignis wouldn’t be alone. Eventually, Ignis slowly pulled back and kept his hands on both of her shoulders.

“Miss Cameron, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. I thought we had lost you with the rest of Insomnia.”

“Ignis, what are you talking about?”

Ignis’s eyes widened behind his frames, trying to find the proper response. 

“Do you not know, Miss Cameron? It’s been all over the news since this morning.”

Her heart caught in her throat as she turned slightly to look at Ignis with a lost look on her face. Unable to help herself, her mind wandered to the worst possible outcome. Ignis noticed immediately and hugged her again, this time to console her. 

“Ignis,” She slightly pushed him backwards to break the hug. “What happened?” 

Ignis took a deep breath before moving his hands to hold one of hers tightly. The exhale came through his nose as he moved to remove his glasses. He was starting to show signs of nervousness, the sweat beginning to form across his forehead. With the back of his gloved hand, he wiped it quickly and looked back at Mia. 

“Miss Cameron, I don’t know how to tell you this. But, Insomnia fell late last night into this morning. The Empire tricked King Regis and they killed him and many other members of Insomnia. A lot of citizens didn’t make it out. The reports also marked his Highness as dead but he’s just outside. It’s a lot of confusing information. I am so sorry to have to be the one to tell you this. I just,” He paused and put his glasses back on. “I really thought you didn’t make it either. I am so relieved to see you. I am sure that Gladio -- “

Mia stopped him with a finger to his lips. Quickly, she searched for her phone on the mattress and looked to see that no new messages were received except for one. One from Libertus a few hours prior. Her blood ran cold and the color from her face was instantly gone. 

_We need to talk. I need you to call me as soon as you get this._

The world around her began to spin, not knowing what was happening. Her mouth was dry, her fingers were numb, and her vision was starting to blur. Ignis stayed next to her and kept quiet as she quickly called Nyx. Without even a ring, the message said back to her was one that she feared. The number had been disconnected and the caller was unreachable now. It didn’t take long for her to move to call Libertus but it went straight to voicemail. Desperate, she rambled off what she thought was a sane message, begging for him to call her back as soon as he could. She didn’t even think that Libertus, too, would be dead in the rubble of what was left of the city she left behind. 

“I can’t, um, I.” Mia’s words could barely formulate as they fell out of her lips and died on the way out. She was in complete panic and couldn’t figure out what to ask of him. 

“Miss Cameron, I know this is sudden. But I -- “

Mia stopped him, her tone shifting from panicked to serious. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes but she managed to ask the only question she cared about. “Is Nyx dead, Ignis?” 

There was too long of a pause between them before Ignis could respond. He couldn’t get out the full answer before Mia burst into tears in front of him. She didn’t have to hear it from Ignis to know. The heartache made her frozen in that moment as Ignis held onto her tightly and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. It felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest and chewed on in front of her. The part of her that she loved and nurtured the past few months was taken from her, unfairly, and she started to feel regret for even considering leaving Insomnia. Everything she was going to say to Nyx was gone now and she had nowhere to place the words. Her mind was drowning in questions she wanted to ask but she couldn’t even manage to get out one syllable without continuing to sob all over again. Ignis’s shirt was wet with her regret and he didn’t flinch even once. 

Ignis promised her that Nyx died in the way he would have -- as a hero. The reports from Cor, the Marshall, were shared that morning and from what Ignis could gather, Nyx didn’t go down in a way that was unfitting for him. His words made her feel a little bit better, but didn’t replace the hole in her heart. She didn’t need to explain why she was out this way because Ignis was able to put two and two together. He spent a few minutes trying to erase the guilt that was weighing on her heart but the two of them knew that it wasn’t going to happen overnight. 

Before Mia would pull herself back from Ignis again, there were loud steps approaching the trailer door. Prompto and Noctis didn’t have that heavy of step and she knew exactly what was coming. She didn’t want it. She couldn’t see him. She was broken in front of Ignis and couldn’t gather herself quick enough to face Gladio. 

“Hey, Iggy! Everything okay in there?” His voice could be heard from a mile away, just like always. 

Mia wanted to protest with Ignis who started to get up to send Gladio away. But, before he could reach the door, it flew open to reveal Mia’s best friend that had ignored her for months. All the feelings that she bottled up about Gladio were starting to bubble up as she saw his form, in his open black button up and leather pants. He didn’t see her right away as Ignis was blocking his view but Mia could see him clear as day. What was she even going to say to him? Was he even going to be happy that she was there? Was he still angry with her? 

While Ignis tried to explain that there was nothing to worry about, Gladio countered him immediately. 

“I heard someone crying. Who is in here with you?” His voice was stern and held quite a bit of concern. 

“Nothing is happening in here, Gladio. I will take care of getting the arrangements for this evening. We just came a little bit before the previous renter. Let me just handle it.” Ignis’s hand flew up against the doorframe to block Gladio from entering. As much as he tried, Ignis was a terrible liar and Gladio could see right through him. 

“I will move you myself, Iggy. I don’t believe you.” 

“Gladio, would you kindly remove yourself from this situation so I can take care of it? I am asking as your friend to just trust me once.” 

“I trust you, Iggy, but I know when you’re lying.” Gladio stepped forward and moved Ignis’s hand from the doorframe with ease. Once he was inside, the soft sounds of Mia crying in the corner grabbed his attention instantly. 

When he turned to look at her, Mia’s heart sank even further up her throat as she lost any capability to speak. Her makeup was smeared from her crying and all she could do was pull the blanket up higher on herself as if it made her invisible to the boys at the door. Gladio’s mouth went completely bone dry, seeing the person he screamed at months earlier. He had everything he ever wanted to say to her in his head over the past few days but the words couldn’t connect. His anger for her was still raw and fresh but once he saw her crying, any ill feelings towards her began to fade. Finally, being in front of her, every word, every feeling, every emotion -- all faded. 

He didn’t need to ask what happened. He knew. He knew that she had to have gotten here from her own car because Nyx didn’t own one. He knew that the radio was busted because she complained about it constantly when they were planning trips together. He knew how frugal she was being because she had a plan, a strict budget, and would stick to it without question. The radio was something she wouldn’t entirely care about for a while. He knew that Nyx asked her to leave Insomnia because as much of a selfish prick Gladio thought he was, he knew that Mia meant the universe to him and he would do anything for her. The argument between Nyx and Mia played through his head, knowing she was stubborn in his request. The car wouldn’t have made it this far, meaning that she stopped in Hammerhead. Gladio could piece together the entire timeline from the moment he walked away from her till now. Instead of speaking, he just stared at her with broken posture and a bite to his bottom lip. 

Mia could feel his red eyes staring holes into her and she couldn’t muster the courage to look at him. The last time they spoke, he stormed off. He said words that cut through Mia so hard that she didn’t stop thinking about them. The shame that she once pushed down began to surround her again. No matter what she said, she had to be careful. He didn’t accept her apology before and she didn’t expect him to do it now. Ignis was still standing in the doorway, his head hung low for failing to keep the two separated. There was no blame that Mia held for him especially knowing that Gladio would have to face her eventually. She just wasn’t ready for it this soon. 

With a deep breath, she looked up at Gladio through clouded eyes and dried them quickly. It was silly to lie to him when he had witnessed her in a broken form. It wouldn’t have been the first time as they both recalled the evening where she fell apart in front of Gladio over an ex-boyfriend. Except this time, Gladio had no one to seize by the collar and threaten in a darkened corner of a bar. No matter how tough she tried to act in front of Gladio, even when they were friends, he could see right through her. 

“Hey.” Gladio whispered, his voice low.


	2. We Will Torch This Place, We Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everyone who has read this series, made comments, or sent kudos so far. I really appreciate it :) 
> 
> This second chapter is a bit longer than I expected but hopefully will make for a good setup to Lestallum in the following chapters.
> 
> Enjoy :D

Gladio’s voice was exactly how she remembered it and it reminded her of the previous fight months before. Every detail of the argument came back to her and she started to replay it over and over in her head. Her chest tightened with every moment that she looked into Gladio’s eyes. There was no promise that he would continue to be kind to her in his speech, especially with the state of their friendship.

“I’ll give you two some privacy.” Ignis decided, closing the door behind him to envelope the entire trailer in black again.

“Little dark in here, don’t you think?” Gladio finally broke the silence between them. He knew that she couldn’t sleep with even a sliver of light in a room but he didn’t have anything else to say in that moment.

“Yeah.”

Both allowed their eyes to adjust to the darkness around them. Gladio contemplated opening the blinds so he could see Mia better but chose not to push her into an uncomfortable situation. There was no sound inside the trailer as he stood there awkwardly. He could hear the muffled voices of Prompto and Noctis arguing just outside the door about their daily log-in for King’s Knight. Opening the blinds would expose Mia in the state she was in to them. While Gladio knew the two would be instantly compassionate, he knew that Prompto would make a dramatic show of the entire situation and Mia didn’t need that. Not now.

“Can I come sit by you?” Gladio finally asked, hoping for a specific answer.

“Sure.”

Gladio was slow in his steps, his large boots making the trailer creak underneath him. Mia moved her feet up and hugged her knees to her chest. Gladio lowered himself onto the edge of the trailer bed, leaving a few inches between himself and Mia. Normally, he would wrap his arms around her tightly until all the pieces were put back together. But, today was different. While he was aching to cheer her up from the recent news, there was still a reminder in the back of his mind that they hadn’t solved their previous issue yet.

“You want to talk about it?”

“Gladdy,” She stopped, sniffling while she corrected herself. “Gladio. I don’t really know what to really say. I just saw Nyx yesterday morning. He was there, standing there, real to me. I could remember his scent and how he felt that morning.”

The last line caused Gladio to flinch. Mia noticed but didn’t pry. It was killing her to not be able to be honest in what she wanted in that moment, but she didn’t want to make the situation worse.

“And now he’s just dead. A dead hero, apparently, but dead. We were going to meet in Lestallum. We were going to walk around the market together. I was going to introduce him to my friends. We were going to come back to Insomnia together. Maybe move in to one apartment. Maybe something more. I don’t know. I knew of one thing, though. Everything was going to be okay, Gladio. We were going to be okay.”

“Mia, I promise you, that the entire Empire will pay threefold for what they did to Nyx.” His words were genuine and laced with anger for her.

“Gladio, I appreciate that, but it doesn’t bring him back.”

He hesitated in reaching for her, stopping himself completely. On one hand, he wanted to be there for his best friend but on the other hand, he didn’t want to provide mixed signals to her on the state of their friendship. Gladio struggled, wishing that they were in a better situation to work through their problems. A small amount of regret fell over him, knowing that he had been ignoring their friendship for far too long. While he was still frustrated with Mia for lying to him, he missed her. Her stupid laugh, the way her eyes lit up when he surprised her, or how pouty she became when he teased her. Being away from her for so long was leaving him wanting. His skin started to grow warm to the touch, resisting the urge to unravel his feelings for her and proclaim everything he ever wanted to say. Instead, he continued to sit so close to her that he could feel her presence and kept his mouth closed from revealing too much of himself to her.

After a few minutes of silence, Gladio couldn’t handle being pulled in two different directions anymore. He could sit with her in complete silence and not console her, give into his desire just a little, or leave. Leaning to her, he pulled her to his lap and held onto her tightly. As soon as his skin touched with hers, she lost the battle of holding back her tears. She could barely feel his stubble rake across her forehead as she buried herself into his chest.

Mia’s loss spread all over Gladio’s shirt and he just allowed her to cry in his arms. It felt euphoric to feel her skin against his again. The smell of her rose perfume mixed with the scent of the dirt road danced through Gladio’s nose each time he inhaled. His fingers gently ran up and down her exposed arm, feeling her finally relax in his embrace. Gladio began to realize the reality of the situation quickly, holding onto Mia as tightly as he could without hurting her. While his heart broke from Mia, his own heart dropped, knowing that if she wasn’t so persuaded by Nyx that she would have met the same fate that he did. In that moment, as she softly sobbed into him, his lips pressed firmly against her forehead over and over again. He admitted to himself that when he learned about the news of Insomnia, his mind went to his family immediately. But, he was so mad at Mia that his hatred pushed the possibility of her dying out of his mind. His own tears found the corners of his eyes and while he did his best to hold them in, a few fell down his cheeks slowly.

After about a half an hour, Mia started to weaken in Gladio’s arms. Her crying had become breaths of exhaustion. Releasing her slightly, Gladio cupped her face to lift it out of his chest and wiped her tears with his thumb that didn’t find their home in his shirt. Mia’s eyes opened to look at Gladio and in that moment, her breath hitched when she saw the dried trails on his face. Gladio broke from her gaze and wiped his eyes quickly, hoping that Mia was too tired to notice. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stayed that way for some time after.

“I am still pissed at you.” Gladio finally spoke, his voice sprinkled with frustration.

“I know. I deserve it,” Mia admitted effortlessly even though it was painful to hear the words. “I am sorry about your Dad, Gladio. I have been so wrapped up in Nyx that I haven’t even apologized to you for your loss.”

Gladio had several hours to grieve and that was enough time for him to be content with what was happening.

“Don’t. He didn’t die due to old age. He didn’t die in a deathbed that I would have had to visit for months, praying to the Six to show compassion. He died protecting the King. We knew it was coming, Mia. We knew that the day would come that my Dad would have to be up against the biggest threat in Eos. I can only be filled with fucking pride for what he did. I can only hope that I will do die in a fraction of the way he did.”

“Is Iris okay?”

“Yeah. She’s okay. Noct just got off the phone with her and she’s headed to Lestallum. I thought about calling you to make sure she settled in. I am a little pissed that she didn’t have the decency to call me. But, I am glad she’s okay.”

“It’s because she loves Noct, Gladio. Do you not see that?”

Gladio quickly dismissed the response. “My sister doesn’t love anyone, Mia. Come on. She’s too young to understand that concept,” There was a beat before he changed the subject, “Is Libertas okay?”

Mia took a deep breath before answering. “I don’t know. Just waiting for him to call.”

“I hope he does.”

“Me, too.”

There was a hush between them as MIa held onto his neck for dear life. The two moved with one another as if they had never left. There wasn’t a feeling of awkwardness between them. It made them feel absolutely at peace for just a little bit of time. Mia knew that eventually she would have to get up and face the rest of the group. But, right now, she didn’t want to be anywhere else. She wanted to cry more over the loss of her love but she had released as much as she could. The initial shock had worn off, even if she still felt completely blindsided. It would take time, which she knew, but she had so many questions rushing through her head to keep her occupied.

“I am sorry I ruined your shirt.”

Gladio chuckled. “It’s okay, babe. I don’t mind. I have another one in the car.”

“Where will you go after this?”

“It’s up to Noct. I don’t know yet.”

“Okay. Well, I want to talk about our friendship soon,” Shifting the discussion to something else other than death seemed to be effective for both. “After today, I don’t want to miss the opportunity again.”

“There are some things I need to discuss with you about that, too.” Gladio confessed, running a hand through his black locks. “But, now isn’t the time. I need you to be ready for that conversation and no offense, babe, I am not going to pile that on you.”

“I appreciate it. Will you be going to Lestallum?”

“Eventually.’

“Why don’t we agree to talk this out there? The rooms there was really nice and good place to have a talk, too. We can maybe get a few beers and talk it over? That is, if you’re okay with that.”

“I would like that. I hope we can still be friends, Mia. I don’t know if we can after our conversation. We just need to iron out a lot of fucking details and I need you to hear me out. I am still incredibly angry at you for what you did.”

“Okay.” There was a tiny voice inside Mia’s head that kept inquiring what Gladio was getting at but she pushed it down and dug her head back into Gladio’s chest. The aroma of leather was starting to break through to Mia and after a deep inhale, her eyes closed gently. Gladio allowed it, if only for today. He didn’t want to keep giving the wrong signals to her that they were going to be completely back to normal after this. Even if his heart ached at the thought of being away from her again.

When she was completely sound asleep from exhausting herself, Gladio gently placed her back on the bed and brought the blanket up to cover her. Before he turned to leave, Mia lazily grabbed for his hand and held tightly onto his pinkie finger. A few mumbles escaped her lips while he stood there, battling with the need to lay next to her to make sure she slept well.

“Baby girl,” He whispered, kneeling next to the bed. “I have to go check with Noct to see where we are headed, okay? I’ll come back to say goodbye before I leave.”

With a sigh of satisfaction, Mia released her grip on Gladio’s finger. He lingered in the trailer, a little bit longer, just to make sure she went back into a deep sleep before leaving to talk with the rest of the group. When he pushed open the door, he managed to look back one more time before exiting into the warmth of the sunlight.

“How is she?” Ignis asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He had been waiting for Gladio while sitting in one of the white plastic chairs outside.

“She’s grieving like anyone else would.”

“Did you talk to her about how you felt?”

“No. I don’t think it’s fair to do to her right now. I have so many thoughts spinning through my head, Iggy. I can’t just confess everything to my best friend when she’s mourning the loss of her dead fucking boyfriend.”

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to upset you, Gladio. I just don’t want you to lose the chance.”

“We agreed to talk about in when we reached Lestallum. I’ll tell her everything then. I just need some time to get my thoughts together. I am so incredibly pissed at her for what she did but then I look at her and all of that fades. If I can just talk to her for a whole fucking hour, I think that everything will be back to the way it was at least. She might freak. I just don’t know how she’s going to take it when I just unload everything in her hometown. That is our destination next, correct?”

“Noctis has decided that he wants to give Prompto a bit of sanity. So, we will be swinging by Wiz’s before heading out. I think that a little bit of a side trip will help ease some tension among the group, don’t you think?”

“It’s not a bad idea. But, when are we leaving?”

“Not till tomorrow. Don’t worry. Noctis and Prompto are currently scouting a camping site so we don’t disturb Miss Cameron,” Ignis paused, tilting his head back to look at Gladio. “We don’t expect you to return to the campsite, either. I know you don’t want to leave her.”

“Not like this. Thanks, Iggy. Any other time, I would be leaving with you guys.”

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me, Gladio. I know how much she means to you. Regardless if she feels the same exact way, she still needs her best friend by her side for tonight.”

With a nod, Gladio entered the trailer again and closed the door softly behind him until the latch clicked. Not wanting a repeat of that early afternoon, he turned the lock to make sure that no one would interrupt them. After kicking off his boots, Gladio slid into bed next to Mia and felt his back pressed against the faux wooden walls. The bed wasn’t made for two people but while it was uncomfortable, Gladio couldn’t imagine sleeping in a bed across from her. His arms reached from behind her and held her close to his chest. She didn’t stir too much and turned to face him instead. Her head found the crook in his neck and she continued with her soft breathing against him. The sensation was one that Gladio tried to ignore, but her warm breath against his bare skin caused his whole body to break out into goosebumps. Her lips being so close to him forced him to shift their bodies so her head was comfortably on his shoulder and away from his skin.

While Mia slept, Gladio remembered the past year and how everything unfolded. The two went from drinking every evening and sharing their darkest secrets in the corners of their favorite dive bar to going out of their way to keep their distance from one another. He had every opportunity to express his feeling to her and he chickened out each time. Nyx was quicker and beat him, regardless if Mia shared the same feelings that Gladio did. Instead of focusing on being there for Mia, his mind wandered to regretful decisions and remembered every single chance he had to be honest. Now, the perfect opportunity was pushed further away. Gladio didn’t expect Mia to reciprocate but it would be unfair to her if he wasn’t honest after he lectured her for not doing the same. It also wouldn’t be fair for him to tell her in the state she was in so it had to wait.

Eventually, Gladio rested his head next to hers and drifted off to sleep. The two didn’t move or shift often throughout the late afternoon and into the evening. Mia woke up only once, sitting upright in a cold sweat, screaming weakly for Nyx. Gladio quickly pushed himself up and hugged her while easing her back to the mattress until she slowed down her breathing and went back to sleep. After that, Mia didn’t dream at all. Gladio stayed up a little bit longer after to make sure she was okay. He didn’t let her go for the rest of the evening.

In the morning, there was a light knock at the door. Mia sniffled before opening her eyes to greet the person on the other side but Gladio was already ahead of her.

“Yes?” Gladio called, his finger on the lock and his free hand open at his side in case he needed to call his sword.

“It’s me!” Prompto’s cheerful voice echoed throughout the entire trailer.

With an audible huff, Gladio unlocked the door to meet a smiling Prompto. The sun was just rising over the hills and Gladio squinted when the light crept into his eyes.

“What time is it?”

“Six in the morning! Rise and shine, Big Guy!” His voice was continuously upbeat, but horribly piercing to Gladio.

Gladio didn’t respond immediately, but instead widened his eyes at him as if to warn him.

Through clenched teeth, Gladio spoke to him in a lower voice. “There might be people still sleeping, Prompto. Might want to keep the noise level down a fucking notch.”

“Oh! Oh, no,” Prompto began to scramble and started to stutter out incoherent words. Finally, he replied in a loud whisper with a hand covering the side of his cheek, “I didn’t know she was still here.”

“I am still here.” Mia emerged from the darkness of the trailer, her hair a complete mess that fell over her oversized shirt. “Hi, Prompto. It’s nice to meet you.” Mia yawned, scratching the back of her head.

She had watched Prompto grow up with Noctis since they were in their first year of High School. He was one of the few allowed into The Citadel without question. His cheerful voice flowed through the hallways and even made some of the Crownsguard smile on their worst days. He was healthy for Noctis. Their friendship was a rare one and no one would be able to repeat it. Mia had passed him in the hallway a few times, but the two never were formally introduced to one another. They only knew of each other through stories from Gladio or Ignis. Mia found the young boy to be a little ball of sunshine everywhere he went and his laugh was contagious. When Noctis moved to his apartment across the street, Prompto didn’t appear in The Citadel as often but Mia looked forward to the day that she could meet him face to face. She just hoped it was under better circumstances.

Prompto kicked the tiny pebbles at his feet and kept his eyes averted. “Um, I am sorry if I was interrupting -- “

“It’s not like that,” Mia corrected him with a sleepy smile. “Could you just give us a few minutes, Prompto? I would like to say goodbye to Gladio.”

“O-O-Of course. I am s-s-s-sorry.” Prompto was quick to turn around as Gladio slammed the door behind him.

Gladio pivoted to reach for the long crystal pole to turn the blinds slightly open. Still giving the two privacy, but allowing a bit of light into the trailer since their eyes had adjusted. When he turned to face Mia, she had her hands tied behind her back as she drew a half circle with her toe on the ground in front of her. Mia and Gladio didn’t really have words to piece together for their exchange. There was nothing different about them sleeping next to one another. They had done it before. But, there was tension between the two that hung above their heads as they avoided the inevitable departure.

Gladio spoke first. “I’ll see you in Lestallum.”

“Thank you for staying with me last night, Gladio.”

“I couldn’t let you sleep here alone after everything that happened. But, we’re not going to pretend what you did didn’t happen. We’ll talk in Lestallum more, I promise. I just –“ Gladio paused, folding his arms over his chest.

“You don’t want me to think that we’re back to being best friends after everything that has happened. Just because you comforted me doesn’t mean I am forgiven for what I did to you. I get it, Gladio. I am very mixed up in emotions, too, and I know that we have a lot to discuss. I don’t expect you to go back to calling me or texting me every day. I didn’t even expect you to talk to me in general. I am grateful for what you did here. Let’s just talk when we are both in Lestallum.” 

“Okay, Mia. I’ll see you there.”

There was an awkward silence between them before Mia ungracefully stuck her hand out. Her chin lifted to look for his response. Carefully, Gladio wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a firm shake. He nodded to Mia before exiting the trailer into the morning light. The door closed behind him to leave Mia to her thoughts. There were a few hours left before she had to move on to Lestallum so she took her time getting ready.

Her heart was raw. Her throat was dry. Her entire body felt like she had been hit by a truck. Even looking at herself in the mirror, she shook her head at how the circles under her eyes had gotten so dark. Her chest tightened at the thought of Nyx, realizing he wasn’t there with her anymore. But, she took the approach that Gladio did and reminded herself of the sacrifice that Nyx had to make. That he would be made into the hero he always wanted to be remembered as. While it was a small idea to Mia, it made her feel slightly better to tell herself that. She would deal with the grieving how she could in the next few days. It wouldn’t hit her as hard as she expected until she got to Lestallum and she knew that. All she could do was press forward in hopes of healing over time.

Gladio didn’t leave her mind, however. She felt guilty for having to take him away from the rest of the group but she was grateful for how well he took care of her. He didn’t have to. He could have left her to be alone. After keeping a secret from him and lying her way through it, she didn’t think she deserved the treatment he gave her. There were moments in their time together the night before where she felt that everything was back to normal. That she could go back to the way things were with her best friend. But, the more Gladio talked about the idea of them talking in Lestallum, the more anxious Mia became. The worst-case scenario rang in her mind that he would want to cut off all ties with her. It was pathetic to think that he was being kind to her out of pity but she hadn’t thrown the idea out completely.

What made the situation worse was Mia’s now complex emotions towards Gladio. She had ignored the passionate dreams she had about him and pushed her growing desire for him out of her mind for so long that it was starting to come back in full force. There was remorse for her thought process, feeling shame for even thinking of Gladio that way. Especially when someone she loved and cared for had left Eos to the stars recently. But, she couldn’t deny the craving that was growing inside of her for Gladio. Feeling his skin against hers was not only comforting, but it lit something in her that she had disregarded for a long time. If Gladio were to cut all ties to their friendship, Mia would be devastated. She just hoped that Gladio would find it in his heart to forgive her so she could at least have a friendship with him again.

It would be selfish of her to even think that how much Gladio cared for her the evening before meant that there could be something. Mia would do the same for Gladio, no matter how angry she was at him. That was what their friendship was all about. They stuck together through some of the worst times of their lives. He understood her in a way that Nyx wouldn’t be able to. Her ticks, the things that comforted her, and being able to remain silent for Gladio to understand her completely was a level that she never reached with Nyx. Mia believed that Gladio was capable of taking care of her because of all of her drunken confessions she made to him. He was just being kind to her and would have done it for anyone else.

In a few days, she would need to admit her mistakes to Gladio and hope that he would find it in his heart to forgive her for everything she had done to him.


	3. Before One of Us Takes a Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mia has one chance to make it right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you guys for your kudos, comments, and love. You guys are rockstars. 
> 
> Next chapter, we will be exploring some adult themes. I'll update the tags once Chapter 4 is posted. 
> 
> (Apologies if you received a few notifications of a new chapter. My preview looked great and then it exploded into ugly HTML. Should be fixed!)

The trip to Lestallum seemed longer than Mia remembered. The world around her started to fade in color as she drove, losing the care for her surroundings. What was a brilliant green in Alstor Slough was now a shade of gray as Mia passed. The sky closed itself off from the world and hid the sun tightly behind it. In a matter of minutes, the rain came down hard against the windshield. It took Mia minutes to realize it and instead of rolling up her window, she reached out to the world around her. As the rain danced across her skin in audible splashes, she kept her eyes focused on the road to replay the last day in her mind.

Her boyfriend, now dead, was labeled a hero by those around her. Her brief conversation with Cor Leonis, the Marshall, solidified the reality that Nyx would never be back. His emotionless demeanor didn’t help the situation and Mia ended up snapping off at him for it. She remembered the little interactions she had with him at The Citadel and what Gladio told her. Gladio said that the Marshall struggled in emotional expression but he was always listening and did care for those around him. Everything went away in that moment as she slammed her foot against the ground in a tantrum, begging for answers from a man who wouldn’t give them to her. When he wouldn’t respond to her questioning, she stormed off with steam shooting out of her ears. The way she slammed the car door so that everyone in the gas station could hear and how she fumbled for a loose cigarette out of an expired pack made Cor feel terrible for her. But, he would never show it. Before Mia could turn to apologize, he was gone into the woods and couldn’t be found. The hate for herself grew with each drag of her stale cigarette. There was no one who would understand her but Gladio and he was further away from her than she had hoped.

The one landmark that caught her attention was the Disc of Cauthess. She thought of Prompto and his brilliant smile behind a camera in those moments. Such a gorgeous piece of Eos was driven by every day and no one thought twice about it. But, she knew that Prompto would make Ignis stop the car to keep a memory of it. The idea brought a smirk to Mia’s face as she drove around the curvy roads leading around the Disc. Lestallum wouldn’t be too far now and she could easily make it in about an hour. The thought of going to the city depressed her but it also excited her, even if it didn’t outweigh the bad thoughts she had along with it. She knew that her friends in Lestallum would rush to see her and that she could forget everything for a few days. Her hotel room would be her sanctuary where she could hide away from the city for a few hours at a time and mourn the death of Nyx. There was no communication of Nyx to anyone in Lestallum so hiding his name behind her tongue would be a simple task.

But, there was Iris.

Gladio’s baby sister. Iris and Mia always got along exceptionally well to where Iris would remember her favorite little things and make a spectacle about birthdays and holidays. Mia just wasn’t sure if she wanted to tell Iris anything if she asked about her brother. During their period of silence, Mia missed Gladio’s birthday entirely to give him space. Didn’t send him a text message, a gift, or even take the time to see if he was still alive. Instead, she went on a picnic with Nyx in the park to completely forget about Gladio’s existence. She had to choose whether to be honest with Iris. Not that Iris would be malicious towards Mia. But, she **would** call her brother to demand answers and how things were going. Part of Mia hoped that she saw Gladio before Iris. If Gladio ended their friendship, it would be harder to talk to Iris or even consider pursuing a friendship with her. If he didn’t, then everything would go back to normal.

When she was close to Lestallum, the weather shifted dramatically to the warm and tropical climate that she missed. The Lestallum heat came rolling down the tunnel that she entered and filled her entire car to the brim. The muted sounds of the street peddlers and bustling of the city made her shoulders drop in relaxation. The scent of the fresh market filling the air flew through her nostrils and brought her a sense of calm that she craved for days. In a few minutes, she would be back home in the place that she longed for. If there was any place for her to find herself again, it would right in her hometown.

Unsure of any new laws that may have been passed, she parked her car at the bottom of the entrance parking lot. She still had on her plates from Insomnia and didn’t know if that meant she was in danger of getting a ticket. After the week she was having, she wouldn’t be surprised. It was a bit more of a hike to park that far but it was only temporary. After pulling into an empty spot, she took a second to breathe the warm air into her lungs. Everything in that moment made her forget about the past week. About Nyx. About Gladio. About the Empire. Nothing could come between her, her deep breathing of the hot air, and the sweet taste of the market on the tip of her tongue.

After she had a few minutes to herself, she slowly stepped out of the car and couldn’t fight back the huge grin that came across her face. Home. A place where she truly could be herself while she put the pieces of her life back together. The city was filled with tourists this time of year and Mia was prepared to sneak through all the secret alleyways and cracks to get to her destinations. The thought of making her way through her own personal map thrilled her. No one looked familiar among the crowd, however, and that was a relief for the time being. Mia grabbed her suitcase and fumbled it up the stairs leading into the actual town. A roller bag was pointless in Lestallum but it was all Nyx could offer her at the time.

Mia only brought a week’s worth of clothes. Everything else was back home under rubble. If pressed, she could get new clothes if needed, but the loss of her favorite items back home put a pressure in her chest. To distract herself, she checked her phone before pulling her suitcase up the last flight of stairs. No call from Libertas. No call from her boss. The people she needed to hear from were dead in her mind until they could prove her otherwise. But, she held onto the same thread of hope in her heart that they made it out alive. Knowing that Lunafreya made it out gave her the will to continue. There had to be some survivors out of Insomnia, even if they hadn’t made themselves known yet. There were certain loved ones she wouldn’t hold her breath on, but she had a feeling that some of them were still alive -- somewhere -- in Eos.

Walking into The Leville was a sense of nostalgia. The cool breeze from the air conditioning was inviting. The same person at the front desk was there before Mia left. His name was Michael and he was a kind, old soul who was excited by tourists and their travels. He remembered little details about their lives if they returned and treated everyone like royalty, regardless of how much they paid. When Michael saw Mia’s sun kissed face, he immediately grinned and waved for Mia to come to the counter.

“Miss Cameron! To what do we owe the pleasure this time?”

Mia cleared her throat, trying to avoid the explanation. “Hello, Michael. I have a room here for a week starting today. I might need to extend that a little bit further, is that alright?”

“Oh, of course. You know I am happy to assist you. I remember when you were just a little girl and came here with your mother. Such a vision. You are growing up to look just like her.” He grinned, typing away at the computer. “Oh, Miss Cameron. I have a second guest listed here.”

“No,” She quickly stopped him before he said his name. “Just me.”

“Alright. Just Mia Cameron. Will you be using the card we have on file from the original booking?”

Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. “Um, I am sorry. No.” Mia quickly dug around in her pockets to take out her wallet to hand him the necessary credit card to replace Nyx’s. “This one, please.”

“Are you alright, Miss Cameron? You look simply pale.”

“I am fine, Michael. Just adjusting to that Lestallum heat, you know?” She said with a forced laugh.

“I understand. Sometimes, I forget how hot it gets here. I have you in room 311. It is next to the corner suite which tends to be filled with loud tourists. Will that be alright? I can move your room if you’d like?”

_They won’t hear me cry. Great._

“No, it’s perfect.”

With a quick slide of her credit card, Mia was handed three keys (Michael remembered how forgetful she was with them) and took the elevator up to the third floor to unload her items. He skipped the usual tourist information as he was aware of Mia’s intrinsic knowledge of the city.

Once she opened the door and stepped inside, she quickly slammed it shut and covered her mouth to muffle her oncoming wails. With her back against the door, she slid to the floor and breathed heavily into her hand. While she could keep it together at the front desk, the reminder that Nyx was gone, again, was something she wasn’t ready for. It wasn’t Michael’s fault. He didn’t know. She didn’t expect him to.

She took her phone out through her deep breathing and soft cries. When she made it through her passcode, she opened a new text message and typed slowly as she wept.

_I miss you, hero. I miss you more than anything. I should have never left._

Mia would never send it. It wouldn’t go anywhere. If anything, the error message she would receive would bounce back to her and make the situation even worse. Her heart felt like it had been torn from her. Her whole body ached in cravings she would never receive. The goosebumps that sprung through her legs were almost painful. Instead of going out that evening, she decided to stay on the floor and wrap her arms around her knees to release everything she had held in for so long. Her brain started to spiral out of control as she pressed her forehead further into her legs. The world started spinning and her vision grew blurry. Every thought was irrational. Every memory was like fading film.

_What was she to do for a memorial? Would she ever be able to go back to Insomnia and search for him? Did Cor give him a proper burial? Was there a specific ritual for members of the Kingsglaive? Would she ever have a grave to lay flowers on? What was she supposed to do? What if he’s buried under rubble and breathing? Should she go back to Insomnia?_

_She should go back to Insomnia._

_No. She had to stay in Lestallum for Gladio. She already caused a rift in their friendship. She couldn’t just leave him without warning. She had to tell him how her emotions were starting to eat away at her. That she was feeling desperately lost without him. That she didn’t know how to parse through the desire that ignited in her. He would probably think that they couldn’t be friends after that. Gladio would never think twice. She was just like Iris. A little sister to him and nothing more._

_Maybe she could take Iris with her? Iris knew how to fight._

_Maybe she could call Gladio and tell him she would be back later? How bad could Insomnia be? She could weave through a few Empire robots. Gladio trained her some. She just couldn’t go in the evening. It would be so quick. Just to check. If she found Nyx there, laying with his body mangled as bad as Cor said it was, she would go home._

_She would never set foot in Insomnia again._

_She just needed to see him. If Cor could have just explained where he was buried or where they left his body. If he could just give her more answers, she would be able to grieve properly. To see that it was true. That he sacrificed his life for Noctis._

_Noctis would never understand what kind of person Nyx was. He wouldn’t know how his laugh made everyone in the room smile. Or that his bright eyes could cure any terrible day. He would never have the chance to understand the constant bigotry of Insomnia towards those in the Kingsglaive. He would never understand what King Regis meant to Nyx. He never would know how madly in love Mia was with him._

_Was it fair? Was Nyx’s life less important than Noct’s?_

_He’s the Prince. Of course, his life was more important than a Kingsglaive soldier. They were sworn to protect him at all costs._

_She can’t be mad at Noctis. Noctis didn’t kill Nyx. The Empire did._

_Did Nyx’s enemy that stole his life see all the good he did for the city? Did they take his life out of spite? Did they strip him of his magic and then kill him? Did Nyx even have a fighting chance?_

_There had to be something to prove to her that Nyx was alive._   
_There had to be something to prove to her that Nyx was dead._

Her head was drowning in questions that she couldn’t answer herself. With what she had left in her, she crawled to the bed and pulled herself up under the covers. Her whole body was covered in sweat but her skin was ice cold. The inevitable darkness that came shortly after wrapped itself around her tightly until she drifted off into an evening filled with violent nightmares and heartache.

\---------------------

It was a full month before Mia would see Gladio again. While she planned to party with her friends every evening at the local bar, she ended up cancelling more times than she had planned. Every excuse crossed her lips when she gripped the phone in her empty hotel room. No one questioned her. They saw the news and assumed she was shocked by all of it. They were just happy she made it out alive. But, that didn’t stop them, however, from prying and wanting to know what it was like to make it out the day before the city fell. Mia always made up some waxing poetic response and that satisfied them until the next phone call.

The days became easier as they passed but they were never simple. She didn’t manage to run into Iris which she was grateful for but also depressed by at the same time. Once her conversation with Gladio was over, she would be able to face his sister and talk about it.

Her clothes smelled like Nyx’s apartment, laced in sandalwood. The first day, she was comforted by it. Lying in bed, holding onto her shirt tightly, and inhaling in his scent brought back good memories for a while. But, after that, she couldn’t keep obsessing over it. With a quick haul into the dumpster behind The Leville, she decided to get herself a new week’s worth of clothing that no longer held his memory. The first pile of clothes she picked up were pulled off the racks lazily. No rhyme or reason to the color choices or the patterns. Whatever looked like her size and whatever was readily available at her fingertips would do. But, eventually, she would have to put more effort into her look.

Living in Lestallum, Mia was forced into short and loose clothing. It wasn’t like Insomnia where the seasons changed and never shifted out of order. While out shopping, her fingers lightly glided over a short black dress with a plunge neckline. Mia held tightly to her armful of clothes and pulled the dress out to look over the design closer. She chewed on her bottom lip, considering for a few moments. If anything, it would make her feel better. There was a small agreement she made to herself that she would go out to the bar tonight, with or without her friends. Being completely tied to her hotel room was not helping her mental health. Getting a dress to boost her confidence to keep her promise was enticing.

_Screw it._

With her new clothing, she rushed back to The Leville and hurried up to her room. The streetlights outside flickered on and gave the city a beautiful glow. The market was still lively which helped Mia feel more relaxed in her space. She threw everything out on her bed in a messy pile. Her hands pushed through the different fabrics until she found that same black dress that caught her eye and immediately pulled it over her head.

It fit like a glove. For the first time in a month, Mia felt herself smile in the full-length mirror. The dress hugged every curve she had and showed off her muscular arms and legs. It would absolutely give her unwanted attention, but she was so focused on getting out of her head that there was no one she couldn’t dismiss. There wasn’t any type of attention that she wanted just yet. Making herself feel comfortable in her own skin was enough of a challenge.

Her black hair fell over her shoulders, something else she hadn’t done in a while. Even doing her makeup made her feel slightly better and instantly motivated her to get outside. Recently, it had been pulled back in a messy bun with no makeup or confidence to be found. Tonight, was different.

After fussing with her dress one more time, she walked out of the hotel room with her head held high. As the door shut, she could hear muffled laughing and yelling in the room next door. Mia was happy for whoever it was, knowing that they were having a good time. There was a voice in her saying to go knock, but she immediately pushed it down, took the elevator to the lobby, and waltzed out into the warm evening that was laid out for her.

When she reached the bar, she decided to take her drink outside to enjoy the beautiful evening and people watch the citizens of Lestallum. The beer was different there with a bit more fruit infusion and while she missed her beers in Insomnia, it tasted like home again. Most of her evening was spent scrolling through her phone and old messages, ignoring the handful of whistles and cat calls from groups as they passed. When she finished her third beer, she placed her phone down and just closed her eyes to take in everything around her.

By the time she was starting to feel a little more than tipsy after standing, her phone buzzed against the iron table. With a quick flick of her thumb, her heart sank. The feeling of anxiety rushed over her as she pressed the screen closer to her eyes.

_Hey. We’re in Lestallum. Did you have some time free tonight?_

With no one around to talk it through, she took a deep breath before responding instead of drunk texting him back.

_Depends. Are you done with me?_

She backspaced on her message immediately and put the phone face down in front of her. She tapped her fingers on the table nervously before flipping the phone back over to write to him. Centering herself, she tried to type again without the blunt commentary.

_Hey. I am at the bar but I am free. Where should I meet you?_

His response was instant as if Gladio had been waiting with a message already typed up upon her reply.

_We’re at The Leville at 312. Not much privacy here, though. Did you still have a room here?_

The light from the cellphone brightened Mia’s face to show her smirk. Of course, they were in the room next to her.

_Funny. I am at 311._

_Do you mind? You don’t have anyone over or anything, right? I am not interrupting?_

“Come on, Gladdy,” She whispered in a frustrated tone, typing back. “I am not that bad.”

_I’ll meet you at my room in ten minutes. Let me just pay my tab._

_Okay. See you then._

If Mia learned anything that night, it was that she could pay her bar tab in under a minute and could run in stilettos -- if she tried hard enough.

When she reached The Leville, she started to feel her body go numb. Every step made her stomach jump up and down in her chest. She constantly checked her phone for the time and felt as if the world had moved quickly around her. Her brain was swimming in thought from not only the fear of what was to come but from the beers she threw back with ease. It was liquid courage but it could have also become her downfall. This was going to be the night that set Gladio and Mia’s friendship apart from every other night before. His warm breath was still on her skin from the day he screamed at her. Red, fiery, eyes burning holes into her for her betrayal. If she wasn’t careful in her responses, their friendship could end within seconds. But, if she wasn’t honest, they would be running around in circles for another long period of time. With how everything unfolded recently, she would never get a chance to be honest again.

She hoped that Ignis and Iris would still be friends with her after it. She was ready to make agreements and negotiations on when she could spend time with them when he wasn’t around. She was also ready to leave the hotel and not face him at all.

_Now or never, Mia._

As she white knuckled her clutch, she walked into the elevator and allowed the doors to close slowly in front of her. The cheap glitter on her clutch grated against her fingertips. With a deep breath, she leaned forward to press the button to lead her up to the third floor. In seconds, she would have to face her biggest fear.


	4. And Breaks This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After talking herself out of it, Mia heads back to her hotel room to bury the hatchet with Gladio. She doesn't know if he will be as receptive as she hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! :)   
> As always, thank youuuuuu so much for taking the time to read this, your kudos, comments, and love! It's been super fun to write this series and I am happy people are liking it. 
> 
> The *next* chapter will have adult themes, not this current one. I have a great history of throwing out warnings and then finding out that I wrote an entire chapter without needing to. So, that's coming and apologies if people were expecting it in Chapter 4. I'll get Chapter 5 out when I can! 
> 
> Enjoy :D

**Ding.**

The elevator reached the third floor quicker than Mia wanted. Slowly, the doors slid open to reveal an empty hallway in front of her. Once she turned right out of the elevator, there was no turning back. She took a moment to straighten her posture and brush herself off before making that turn as the elevator doors shut behind her. She began walking towards Gladio who had his back leaned against her hotel room door. He hadn’t noticed her yet but was instead focused typing away at his phone. Gladio didn’t wear any sort of expression except his normal demeanor. Her heels didn’t click like they did in the streets. They were muted by the tacky dark blue carpet. 

When she passed two rooms before her, Gladio finally stopped typing and looked up. Mia could see the breath catch in his throat before he cleared it with a loud cough. When he looked back at her, he couldn’t stop tracing every corner of her. Mia instantly regretted wearing the black dress out that evening, knowing she probably looked incredibly ridiculous. If they were going to hash out the problems in their friendship, she should have worn something more comfortable. A hand ran through his thick black hair as he released a deep exhale. 

“Hey.” 

“Hey, Mia.” Gladio’s voice was soft in response, not having an ounce of anger to it. Maybe it would go as well as Mia hoped. 

“Excuse me.” Mia started to dig through her clutch to find her room key. Once she felt the familiar plastic, she quickly slid it through the key slot until three green lights flashed back at her. 

Gladio held the door open for her as she ducked under his arm to get in. After flicking on the lights, she was surprised and somewhat grateful that the cleaning service had turned the room while she was gone. When she heard the door shut, she turned around to face Gladio without a word to say. 

“Do you want to talk about us first? Then we can catch up. Will make for a nicer reunion, don’t you think?” Gladio inquired, passing her to pull the desk chair inches from the foot of the bed so Mia and Gladio would be face to face. He took a seat in the chair and patted the mattress for Mia to sit across from him. Mia obliged with a nod and sat down in front of him. His knees were almost touching on either side of her, his face dangerously close when he leaned forward with a weak half smirk. 

“Where do we start?” Mia’s stomach was flipping as she looked up at Gladio’s warm eyes. That’s when she noticed something incredibly different about him. A large scar was now across his forehead -- something that didn’t exist before. She shoved her hand under her thigh to stop her from reaching up to touch him. “Wait. What happened to your --”

Gladio craned his neck back in response. “We can talk about that another time. It’s a very long story.” 

“Are you okay at least?” 

“I am fine.” Gladio inhaled through his nose and sat straight up in his chair with an air of pride. 

“Okay. We can’t talk about your scar. What do you want to talk about?”

“Well,” Gladio leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, keeping his eye contact with Mia. “We need to figure you and I out first, babe. There’s a lot of things we need to talk about.” 

Mia’s buzz was starting to fade quickly. “What do you want to know?”

“If you’re ready to talk about it, I want to discuss the whole shitshow with us back in Insomnia.” 

There were a few seconds that Mia contemplated not wanting to have Nyx’s name dance across her lips. But, if she didn’t iron out the issues with Gladio now, there was no telling when she could. The world was ripping people she loved right out of her fingertips. If her luck continued, Gladio would be taken right from her without a second thought. 

“I have done my grieving,” She paused, biting her bottom lip. Gladio was so close to her that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. If Gladio was still speaking to her after this, she would tell him what his closeness did to her. Her arms were kissed with goosebumps as she leaned back slightly on the bed to create more distance. “What do you want to know specifically, Gladio?”

“Anytime you lied and why you did it.” Gladio’s eyes weren’t filled with rage. Instead, they were welcoming and understanding which made Mia relax. “I just want to hear your words and not make up my own for you.”

With one hand behind her back, supporting her weight and one arm draped over her crossed legs, she thought of every instance. She didn’t want to skip anything nor did she want to miss any details. The painful feeling of heartache was resting in her chest and she pushed herself forward. 

“I lied to you the night I asked you not to walk me home. I went to The Citadel with Nyx and he took me to the roof to overlook the city. It was the night I forgot to text you when I got home. I lied to you about where I was and why I didn’t call.” 

Gladio’s eyebrow raised and his face shifted. “I am going to let you finish, MIa, but,” His hand gripped into a tight fist. “I don’t need to explain how dangerous that is.”

“I know,” She nodded in agreement and took another breath in, “I wasn’t thinking. I trusted Nyx.”

“Was that the first time you met Nyx?”

“No. I met him that day. In the garden. I was sitting down in the middle, like I usually do, and he approached me. He flirted with me and we texted each other for the rest of the day.” 

Gladio responded with a slight eye roll but that didn’t stop Mia from continuing. 

“After that, we saw each other frequently. Including the night you visited me to apologize. He was in my living room. It’s why I didn’t invite you in.” 

“Okay.” Gladio was starting to fight his frustration that was growing with each word. 

“The night before you found out, I went to the corner of Insomnia you told me never to go. I was with Crowe, Nyx, and Libertas. I came out fine. I know I completely ignored your warnings to go to that area but that’s the one place I knew you wouldn’t enter. I went there a lot, actually.” 

Large fingers began tapping on his opposite arm. Gladio couldn’t help to hide his shock or his growing rage. Instead of being angry with Mia for keeping everything from him, he was starting to get upset with Nyx for putting her in dangerous situations. He didn’t need to scold her. He didn’t need to give her an hour-long lecture on why the two ‘dates’ they went on put Mia in danger. If he spoke while she did, he would kick himself for not allowing her to lace her words together for him. 

“Okay.” His reply was through gritted teeth. Mia could see it, but knew exactly what buttons she was pressing. The conversation wasn’t going to be an easy one and so she kept going to get everything out. 

“You asked me to give you space. I did.” Her voice started to crack as she felt hot tears ready to stream down if she said the wrong word. “I, uh. I missed your birthday. That’s not a lie, you know that’s true. I never got to say I was sorry. I know you hate your birthday and I know it’s so stupid but you looked forward to it. I know that even though Iris bugs you, that you are filled to the brim with love when she does nice things for you. Iris worked hard on that party for you and my excuse was pathetic and I should have shown without your approval. Best friends don’t miss those types of things.” Mia’s eyes were sparkling now, searching Gladio’s for a response. 

Gladio calmly placed a hand on her knee, sending electricity up to her spine. It helped stop the tears that stood waiting to crash over her skin. Mia allowed him to stay there, his calloused fingers brushing her skin lightly. 

“Okay. Is there anything else?” His voice had decreased in irritation and volume. His tone was soft against the small space between him and Mia. 

“Gladdy, I -- “ Mia didn’t correct herself on the nickname this time. She couldn’t help feeling herself lose a grip on the tears she held back. They cascaded down in a hot trail as she pressed the tip of her tongue to the corner of her mouth. The drunken haze that was left was pushing her into an emotional pit and she had no direction to go except down. “Gladdy, I am sorry. I know I said I am sorry but I wasn’t thinking. I thought, maybe, that I could just get you in a situation where you were comfortable to tell you. You were so angry that Nyx existed that it didn’t matter if we were together or not. I thought about how you’d leave and how I would be without you if I told you. Even that thought made me breathless.” A sniffle came from her as she leaned forward into his hand. “I am completely sorry for assuming you would flip out. I am beyond sorry for even thinking I could keep something from you. What I did was wrong to you and I hope you can forgive me. I know you said that we might not be friends at the end of this but.” Mia paused and the tears came down harder. 

Shocked, Gladio leaned tall before widening his eyes. There was a small laugh to himself before he shook his head at her. 

“Babe, that’s not why I said that.” He stopped for a second but then smiled at her. “Mia, you’re my best friend in all of Eos. What you did was hurtful. I am not going to lie to you. You chose to be dishonest and go behind my back instead of telling me the truth. But, I can’t blame you. I know sometimes I get passionate and heated and I know it scares people. It sucked that you lied to me but I don’t place all that blame on you. I was fucking unfair to you about Nyx. I shouldn’t have said a damn word to you about it. But, I couldn’t get over my hatred for him. I know now that I was blinded by that. Sure, you did kind of a shitty thing to me but you,” He was starting to follow the same trail as Mia and paused before he let himself go. With a deep breath, he reached for her chin. Tilting it up, he met her eyes and smiled. “You are the only person who understands why I become the way that I do. You never ran from me when I became a complete fucking mess. You being scared of my reaction is my fault, not yours. I am sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t come to me. I am sorry for leaving you alone for the Summer Solstice and breaking our tradition. I am sorry for acting like a fucking asshole to you.”

“I forgive you. I am really sorry I fucked up our friendship.” She mumbled, the tears hitting Gladio’s skin.

“Hey, hey,” A thumb rubbed her cheek, pushing the tears off her face. “You didn’t fuck up our friendship, Princess. You just made a mistake and I forgive you.” 

Mia’s face lit up instantly, hearing her nickname across his lips again. “Really?” 

Gladio nodded. “Yup. Thank you for being fucking honest finally. I came here hoping you could talk to me like you used to again. I have felt incredibly far away from you for a long time. I mean that in the metaphorical sense. I felt that we were starting to drift even a little bit before you met Nyx and I was terrified. I really thought that I was best friends with another person by the time I found out about you and Nyx. The time I came to your house to apologize? I thought that was going to be it. I was expecting you to slam the door in my face,” His hand dropped as he chuckled. “I think we both can agree that we made some bad choices and that we need to work on our communication in the future, okay?” 

Mia just nodded with a weak smile.

“And hey. The surprise party wasn’t super great. You weren’t there. So, you didn’t miss much.” He grinned, attempting to lighten the mood. 

“Nyx took over your tradition,” Mia’s eyes fell to the floor where she couldn’t see Gladio. “He did a really good job of making that better. I would be lying if I said you didn’t miss much. It helped me get through the Solstice job. I don’t know what I would have done without him.” 

“I am very happy that you had Nyx there. As much as I don’t -- “ Gladio paused, correcting himself. “As much as I didn’t prefer Nyx due to our personal history, it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate him taking care of you. I know that he had to have treated you like the princess you are. You were incredibly happy with him. I saw your face before you noticed me jogging towards you. I saw how he looked at you. As angry as I was about you lying to me, I wasn’t upset in seeing you fucking glow. Even when I saw Nyx at The Citadel, he was in high spirits with a stupid smile across his face. Him and Crowe were talking about you every time I passed them. How amazing you were and how happy they were that you came into their lives. I never had to correct him for being gross as fuck or say shit he shouldn’t say. I can’t hate a man who truly cares for you and respects you like that. He also saved your life and I am grateful that you’re sitting across from me because of it.”  

The idea of Nyx convincing Mia to leave was a scar that she had allowed to fade. Instead of bringing up the old memories, she continued genuinely. “I wish you two could have ironed things out. I think you guys would be really good friends.”

“Me, too,” Gladio was sincere in tone. “I promise I’ll be nicer to the next boyfriend.” It was agonizing to say the last word, knowing that he may never get the opportunity. He managed to successfully hold back his emotions and maintain a strong demeanor though it was challenging. 

“You better.” She warned with a smirk, wiping the remaining tears that found home in her jawline. 

“Friends?” Gladio stuck his hand out to her. 

“Best friends.” Mia pushed his hand to the side and wrapped her arms around his neck. The chair rolled closer to her as her knees were centimeters away from either side of his opened thighs. Mia took in a deep inhale of the smell of leather and beer and she felt home once again. 

Gladio threw his arms around her and held onto her tightly. The smell of roses on her skin was intoxicating and he battled with the urge to kiss her right there regardless of the consequences. Instead, his lips pressed gently against her temple. Mia released a soft sigh as her forehead nuzzled against his neck. The leather right under her nose made her shoulders drop. If this was how they ended the conversation, Mia would be happy to be like that for hours. But, her anxious brain loudly reminded her of what his skin did to hers and she slowly released him. Their faces were so close to each other that Mia could feel his life force on her lips. Before she did something she would regret, she leaned back on the bed with one hand to support her again. 

Gladio had taken in a sharp breath as she did, his hands holding tightly at the arms of his chair. His mind started to wander to places he didn’t want to go, looking at her in her short black dress and stilettos. He could feel his stomach begin to form knots and his skin start to rise in temperature. Before he ended up diving into her, he cleared his throat and chose to change the subject. 

“How are you, Mia? I mean really?” 

“Awful. Terrible,” Mia was able to finally admit it to someone other than herself. “I have been in this hotel room for a month just feeling like my soul had been ripped out of me. I don’t think I have stopped crying since I saw you. I went out tonight and felt the best I have in a long time but it doesn’t help me remember when I get back here.”

“Is there anything I can do to make it better?” 

_Yes._

“Knowing you and I are okay again is plenty. I promise.” 

“Do you want to talk about Nyx?” 

Mia thought carefully before answering. “I don’t know what to say, Gladdy. I won’t lie to you. I have considered going back to Insomnia to look for him. I had an evening where I considered just going. Just leaving for Insomnia. Fighting my way through The Empire just to see his body. I really and truly considered it, Gladdy. I was going to take Iris because my brain went where it was rationale. I was mad at Noct for about a week because I blamed Nyx’s death on him,” She inhaled deeply, knowing how crazy she sounded. “But, I know who is to blame. I know The Empire took his life. Anyone could piece that together. The Marshall was extremely unhelpful in that. He gave me little to no information except telling me he died a hero with his stupid fucking stone cold face,” Mia looked up at Gladio, who was listening intently. “I just want to know that he is dead for real, you know? Like, I know in my brain that he’s dead. I know that people wouldn’t lie to me about something so serious but there’s this weird little light in my heart that has hope. A twisted hope, I guess. I just need my brain to catch up with my heart so they can stop disagreeing with each other.” 

“All of those thoughts are valid,” Gladio began. “And I can’t imagine what you’re going through. All of those thoughts are completely fucking normal. Don’t think for a second they’re not. I had similar ones about my Dad. I almost went back when I did a detour with the Marshall but he talked me out of it.”

“Oh, how is he? Still a statue?” 

Gladio couldn’t hold back the laugh that escaped him. “Mia, just because he expresses his emotions differently than you and I doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care. He does. If he could give you more information that wasn’t classified, he would. I know he wouldn’t hold back any information he couldn’t give you.”

“I know. I just --”

“He’s the only person you can be angry at because he’s right fucking here while Nyx’s killer is completely unknown to you?”

“Yeah.” She confessed finally. 

“I can guarantee you that person is dead. No one from The Empire made it out of the city that hadn’t left immediately. And your boyfriend was a tough fucking dude, Mia. You have to remember that he went down probably in the most epic battle of Eos History. Someday, someone will piece together that story and share it with the world. Right now, so many pieces are hanging in the air. We don’t know what we’re doing. No one does. But, I know for a fact that Nyx would want you to keep pushing forward. He would be devastated if something happened to you on his account. Hell, I would be devastated, Mia. Don’t ever go back to that city, please.”

“I promise. My heart just won’t stop pulling me there.” 

“I know. But, you gotta fight that. That city is dark now. There’s is no good soul that is wandering its streets. Cor and the Crownsguard cleaned up everything that they could. Like I said, I almost went all the way back there. I wanted to. But, that isn’t our city anymore, Mia. It doesn’t belong to anyone but The Empire. We would die being caught up in our own selfishness.” 

Mia signaled that she didn’t disagree with him. “Okay. I promise I won’t go,” She said it again to remind herself. There were a few seconds before she scratched the back of her head in nervousness. “Glady, can I ask you one thing?”

“Sure.”

“Is there a burial site for the Kingsglaive? It’s something that hasn’t left my mind. Like, I am missing out on doing something for my boyfriend.”

“No. I wish there was. There used to be a wall off to the far end of the courtyard. It was for all members of the Crown that weren’t the royal family. It’s obviously destroyed now. But, that shouldn’t stop you for holding your own vigil. Mia, you have to do what is important to you to get through this. If you want to create your own memorial, then do it. You don’t need to see someone’s fucking body to help their soul move on nor do you need a written down ritual.” 

“Maybe I’ll do that tonight.”

“I think it would help.”

“Me, too.” 

The loud roar of laughter on the other side of the wall broke their serious conversation, causing them both to look at the white painted planks with smiles. A muffled whine from Prompto followed. 

“They’re playing some card games last I left them. Who knows what they’re getting into.”

“Whatever it is, Prompto sounds like he’s gotten sulky.” 

“You are confusing him for Noct.” 

“Be nice, Gladdy,” She lightly tapped him in the arm before her face twisted. “How is he, by the way?”

Gladio leaned back in his chair, his fingers lacing together behind his head. “He is going to be what he is going to be. He is taking his father’s death as you would expect someone to. I think that he can’t deal with the fact King Regis put Noct before the entire city of Insomnia. Noct doesn’t understand, fully, what it means to be Insomnia’s new King. Sometimes you make some choices that aren’t necessarily sane but it’s for the betterment of the future. If Noct stayed behind, then there would be no lineage to take the seat. it doesn’t make sense to him quite yet. All he can see are the citizens of Insomnia, mostly dead. He doesn’t see what he should do to fix what is to come. None of us expected that he would have to take the throne this soon, either. I really fucking thought we would have more time to help Noct along but the timetable has sped up incredibly fucking fast. We got into a huge argument two weeks ago during our last tourist stop.”

“Titan. I saw on the television. I thought that you wouldn’t make it but when they labeled you guys as anything but the heroes, I knew at least you made it out alive.”

“It’s that stupid fucking clown, Ardyn. He tricked us.”

“The Chancellor? He was the one who had requested that Noct and Luna get married, right?”

“Yeah. That’s the asshole.”

“I don’t even know the guy and he seems off to me.”

“Prompto thought he was incredibly shady. We trusted him because what else are you going to do when everyone has their back turned against you? I would say he’s got a few screws loose, too. He got us to go to Titan and we agreed to follow him like idiots when we should have just gone ourselves. He was going to escort us but it ended up being an ambush from The Empire. He has played incredibly stupid about the whole situation. I am surprised you didn’t see him when we came here a few weeks ago.”

“You were here a few weeks ago?” Mia’s voice was slightly annoyed in tone. 

“If I came here three weeks ago, do you think you would have the capacity to talk to me? I am sorry I didn’t call you, Mia, but I wanted to give you space.”

“It’s okay. I am glad you’re here now. I am also happy I didn’t run into that creep.” 

“Don’t talk to him if you do. He’s a manipulator and I know we haven’t seen the last of him. If you are going to be mad at anyone for Nyx’s death, it’s that piece of shit. He started the whole discussion of a treaty and the marriage of Luna and Noct. While I know Emperor Aldercapt is the face of Nifelhiem, I just think Ardyn is pulling a lot more strings than they’re saying. He’s a creep, to be sure, but he’s a lot smarter than the rest of the Nifs.” 

“Well, I hope I never get the chance to see him, then.” She looked Gladio over again, tracing the curves in his body as he sat in front of her. Mia couldn’t help staring at his chest a second too long. Gladio bent his neck down to block her view with a raised eyebrow and a soft chuckle.

“What?” 

_Don’t say something stupid, Mia._

“It’s just nice to see you and talk like this, I guess. It’s been so long that I almost forgot what you look like,” Her eyes traveled upwards to meet his again. “I know that sounds silly, but it means a lot to me.” 

“Me, too, Princess.” Gladio leaned forward again and reached for Mia’s free hand that wasn’t supporting her. He gave a gentle squeeze to her palm before fighting the urge to grin like a complete idiot. 

“Gladdy, you have been mentioning wanting to talk about something for a month now. Are we going to talk about that now? It’s been kind of eating away at me and it’s making me nervous. I don’t know what you need to talk to me about, but, I need to talk to you about something, too. So, we might as well cross that bridge so we can move on.” 

Gladio released her hand and blew out the breath of air that he was concealing in his chest. His breath lightly fell on Mia’s skin, making her realize how close they were again. It was complete torture for both. But, their words were hidden from one another and they feared for the worst if they were released into the atmosphere that surrounded them. Mia wanted to scream them at him to get everything out but the words grasped so tightly onto her tongue that she couldn’t even begin. Gladio was stroking his chin, trying to find the best beginning to his confession. He had practiced the sentences in his head over and over. Now that she was right here, he could barely make a sound. 

“Mia, I -- “ Before Gladio could begin, there were three knocks on the wall behind him. 

“Gladiolus, it’s a good time to retire,” Ignis’s muffled voice came through the wall on the other side. “It’s getting late and we have to be up early to take your sister to Cape Caern.” 

“Great timing.” Gladio spoke softly to himself, releasing Mia’s hand from his grasp. 

“What?” Ignis’s voice replied in a confused manner, clearly pressed against the other side of the wall. 

“Nothing, Iggy. I’ll be there in a minute.” 

“Can you tell me before you leave?” 

Gladio slowly stood up, Mia following his movements soon after. With how they were positioned prior, Gladio could look down to watch Mia’s chest move while she breathed and her bright eyes behind her long eyelashes. With his hands digging into his pockets, he pushed the chair backwards with one of his feet and took the space that it left. There was a slow shake of his head before he looked up at the ceiling to avoid Mia’s gaze. 

“I can’t. It’s just not something I can fucking drop on you in a couple of seconds and then leave. I am sorry, Mia, but I don’t think that’s fair to either of us.”

“It’s okay. Is it bad?”

“I don’t know, Mia. Is your thing bad?” Both of their stomachs tightened, forcing them to shift in their stance. 

_Is being in love with you bad, Gladdy?_

“It can be. Are you going to be back to finish this?”

“Yeah. We’re just taking a drive up to drop Iris off. It’s on the way to our next location. But, I’ll come back tomorrow evening, okay? We can talk about this, then. Maybe I’ll send them out so they can’t interrupt us.” He nodded behind him to the wall. 

“Do you want to go out instead?”

“No,” Gladio was quick to disagree, his hand raising up to stop the idea. “I would like to talk to you about it in private if that’s okay?”

“Yeah, Gladdy. That’s fine.” Mia felt slightly better but the fear of their friendship being shattered by either of them didn’t sit well with her. “Then, I’ll see you tomorrow evening. Just swing by and I’ll be sure to have a couple beers here for you.”

“You spoil me.” He laughed, leaning forward to place his hand on the back of her head to pull her forehead to his lips. Mia wrapped her arms around to his back and pressed her face to his chest. Gladio returned the embrace and held onto her tightly. They stayed like that for a minute or two in silence, just taking in one another’s presence. 

“Hey, Big Guy! What side of the bed do you want to sleep on?” Prompto’s voice broke their moment into pieces. Gladio released a heavy sigh before releasing Mia from his grasp.

“Tomorrow, Mia.” 

“Tomorrow.” Mia repeated back to him. Before he turned to leave, he leaned down to kiss her gently on the cheek, a little closer to her lips than he wanted. She had no time to react as he was already out the door. In seconds, there was a loud banging from next door, hushed words said between Gladio and the rest of the group, followed by a burst of laughter, and then mumbled apologies from Prompto and Ignis.

Mia stood there being unable to care to decipher what they were saying, high on his lips against her cheek. With slightly closed eyes and an awkward smile, her hand came up to rest on the spot he kissed her. It was the smallest gesture that Gladio probably didn’t even think twice about but Mia couldn’t help but feel her heart flutter against her chest. He had always kissed her on the forehead and temple, but this was something that hadn’t happened before. It may have been simple for him, but it was intimate for her. The proximity of his lips to hers was extremely close and the thought thrilled her. 

The weight that pressed against her heart had been lifted after that. She had been carrying panic with her since she left Insomnia, worried that Gladio wouldn’t forgive her. Mia could feel herself finally breathe without the pain in the back of her mind anymore. They could go back to normal, eventually, and the idea made Mia extremely relieved. 

There was confidence stored in that kiss he gave. Something that made Mia’s muscles relax as she fell backwards onto the bed. Reviewing their entire conversation in her head, she still feared that expressing her feelings for Gladio would be a risk to their friendship entirely. But, there was a realistic thought that if he rejected how she felt, that they could still make their friendship work. They had come to agreements and understandings all evening and Mia couldn’t imagine that expressing her feelings for him wouldn’t fall into that same category. She promised Gladio that she wouldn’t keep anything from him again. Even if it ended up making their friendship different, she was ready to work through it. 

Her eyes shifted to the balcony, the light cotton curtains blowing with the summer breeze. Mia looked over at the nightstand to find a candle she had purchased to get Nyx’s scent out of the room when she opened her suitcase. Rolling over, she grabbed it and fumbled around the nightstand for a lighter. Pushing herself up, she walked out onto the dark balcony and covered the wick from the wind. With a few clicks of the lighter, she watched the flame dance freely with her hand behind it and it brought a smile to her face. As she watched the flame move, she could feel a presence not far behind her. 

Looking to the left of her, she saw Gladio on his balcony. His arms were crossed at the wrist as he looked forward into the city. The lights were out behind him and he had already changed into comfier clothing. The wind gently played with his hair while he continued to keep his eyes focused. Not wanting to break her vigil, her eyes turned back to the candle still being lit and filling the balcony with the smell of roses. 

“Goodnight, Nyx. I love you,” She whispered to herself. “Until we meet again someday.” After lifting her hand for the breeze to brush over the flame, she kept her eyes focused until it was completely extinguished. There was a release in her chest as she watched the smoke waltz with the wind. She would never be over Nyx fully and she knew that. But, she could work on moving forward in her life. The idea that he was still alive started to diminish from her mind but knowing he was somewhere out there in the skies made her feel better. A private vigil would be enough for her for now until she could do something a little bit bigger. 

Her eyes moved to the left again, looking at Gladio’s unmoved pose. He didn’t shift or change nor did Mia think he noticed her. Looking back down at the candle, the smoke had left to go to the astrals and all that remained was the small pool of wax around the wick. She tilted the candle so the wax dripped to the edge and then spun a trail around the rest of the glass. Once she was pleased with her small vigil, she placed the candle down in the corner of the balcony. The idea that she would give the evening for Nyx to travel away from her comforted her. She would retrieve the candle in the morning after it had been covered in the moon’s light. 

Before Mia went in, she hesitated and wondered if she should say something to Gladio but she didn’t know if he needed the space. Instead, she stepped one foot into her room to retire. Gladio spoke to her, not moving from his position.

“Good night, Princess.” He kept his eyes on the city skyline, a smile on his face. 

Mia felt her chest grow warm in response. “Night, Gladdy.”


	5. I Won't Be the One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all are the most patient saints in the world. :)  
> Apologies for the lack of an update as work has been completely insane recently. 
> 
> While this chapter is short, we got one more to go after it that will be not only longer but long awaited. I appreciate your comments and kudos so much. Thank you all for taking the time to read and give love.

The sunrise came quickly, flooding the entire hotel with its warmth. It was still early, but once the light gently touched Mia’s face, her eyes fluttered open to greet the morning. Her heart felt lighter than it had in months. The whole discussion with Gladio made her lose her feeling of guilt and the heavy cloud that weighed over her head. Hearing Gladio laugh again and seeing his famous smirk as they spoke, reminded her of the good times that they had. His fiery eyes lit up in passion when he talked to her and even thinking of the visual gave Mia a stupid smile. His shoulders visibly relaxed right in front of her eyes. It was possible to get back to where they needed to be from that point. The whole evening was required for both to release the breath that they held on for far too long. 

Once her bare feet hit the horribly patterned carpet, she was reminded that the whole situation wasn’t solved quite yet. The feeling of guilt that left her came back as its new persona: fear. The familiar sensation of her chest tightening caused her to grip the ugly hotel comforter until her knuckles were white. Tonight was specifically designed for the two of them to air whatever secrets they held close to their hearts and Mia wasn’t ready for either of it. Gladio’s conversation could have been anything from expressing the same feelings that Mia held for him to the discussion of death of someone dear to them and Six knows what else. She knew that Gladio felt similar in anxious anticipation, hoping that his words wouldn’t drive a spike through their mending friendship. 

What would Gladio even think when she told him?  
Gladio had always thought of her as a sister. Just like Iris.  
If he rejected her, she could easily lick her wounds after being completely humiliated. He might still want to maintain a friendship with her. Even if it wouldn’t be the same between them. But, he may never want to be in the same room as her again and it frightened her.

She saw it with Iris and Noctis, even if they couldn’t see one another in the way they wanted. Iris was infatuated with Noctis and made it apparent to everyone around them. Noctis, being engaged to Luna, thought of Iris as a sister but could feel the tension and discomfort even when they were in group settings. Mia didn’t want to make Gladio feel that way, even if it meant being completely honest with him. 

For her to push down her feelings for a little bit longer, she had to force herself to get showered and dressed to prepare for the evening ahead. Adorned in comfortable pants and a baggy shirt (that she stole from Gladio months ago), she headed to the market to pick up a few items that were necessary to calm her nerves. The market was bustling as it always was in the early morning. Filled to the brim with the morning rush of people grabbing their items before having to head to work, Mia did her best to move through the cracks in the crowd. The vendors all had warm smiles across their faces as Mia nodded to them as she passed each stall. It didn’t take long for her to find her favorite one to pick and choose a few six-packs of beer for the evening. 

When she was finished, she decided in that moment that picking out a new outfit would make her feel more comfortable. She thought of it as a suit of armor. Something that would boost her confidence along with the cheap beer she purchased. It was a struggle, however, in finding what outfit would bring her the most confidence. Her fingers glided over each individual item but she never paused because she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. On one hand, she wanted to be comfortable so wearing her normal pajama pants and a tank top would be perfect. But, part of her wanted to entice Gladio, regardless if he ended up rejecting her. There was, unfortunately, no choice that would lead to a compromise. 

After an hour of wandering the aisles of the clothing store, she ended up convincing herself that being comfortable was more important and chose a pair of small red athletic shorts and an oversized tank with a faded Tonberry design. Once she paid for her items, she walked back with more spring in her step to the hotel. The sun was high above her head by the time she reached the entrance again. Its warmth was familiar and something that brought her a sense of home anytime she could feel it against her skin. It wasn’t a climate fit for the Royal Caravan, she noted, but it was something that made her feel at ease.

\---------------------

Waiting for Gladio to get back to the hotel felt like an eternity. Mia did everything she could to pass the time. Watching the news only brought a heavy heart to her instantly as they were still covering the aftermath of Insomnia. Reading a book became boring after a few sentences because her mind would wander to any and every sexual thought her brain could come up with about Gladio. She didn’t want to start drinking until Gladio was in the building or she would be a sloppy mess that wouldn’t be able to formulate words properly. Taking a nap worked somewhat but when she checked the time, she knew she had another two hours until she heard the voices she was accustomed to next door to her room. 

Not attempting to waste any more time, Mia took another shower to wash away the Lestallum sweat that had gathered across her body when she ran errands. She stood under the shower head for a longer time than usual and allowed the water to flow over her skin. There was a peace to the ritual where she found a few moments of calm to herself. When the water ran cold, she quickly snapped back into reality. It made her even more aware of her surroundings and the situation that she dreaded. With a deep breath, she wrapped a towel around her body and started to get ready for when Gladio had returned. 

Her hair was slightly curly from allowing it air dry and she decided to ditch the entire idea of makeup. Gladio had seen her at her best and worst so there was no need to impress him any further. Besides, being completely raw in her emotions meant that she should be herself in front of him and not have to be someone else. The shorts and long tank were comfortable as she walked barefoot around her hotel room. The long plunge on either side of the tank gave her a little bit of exposure to her ribs but not enough to cause her to feel out of her element. 

After pacing for another hour, she could hear the faint laughter and screaming of her favorite group from Insomnia. They were arguing about the day’s battle, on who was more successful. When the voices reached the other side of the wall, Mia’s whole body tensed up. Gladio’s voice was rough against the painted barrier between them, sending shivers up and down her spine. She wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone what the group was saying then because she clung to every single note that left Gladio’s lips. There were a few back and forth murmurs between the group until Ignis, Noctis, and Prompto’s voices started to travel down the hallway again. Before she could get up to listen to where the voices had gone, there was a light knock at her door. 

Mia waited a second or two before answering, gripping the handle hard before pulling it down. When she opened the door, Gladio greeted her in a different outfit that she was used to. He was in a black tank with white pants and his normal black boots. His outfit was most likely due to the heat of the city, something Mia was grateful for in more ways than one. 

“Hey.” Mia smiled, taking a step back to allow him to enter the hotel room.

His face lit up when their eyes met. “Hey.” 

Mia didn’t wait to hold the door or share an embrace with him. Instead, she quickly walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed two beers to start the evening off. After handing him one, the door slammed behind him. There were a few beats of awkward silence before Mia brought up an entirely different question to ease the stress between them. 

“Where are the boys going?” 

“Oh, down to the market. I told them that this might take a bit so they wanted to give us a little bit of privacy. Is that okay?” His questioning was met with an eyebrow raise to her. 

“Yeah, that’s totally fine, Gladio. It’s not like I am nervous to be around you.” 

_I am just nervous to tell you how I feel._

“I just want to check, baby girl,” The sound of the beer can opening helped finish his sentence before he took a large sip. “I am going to just take a guess that you don’t want to talk about this right away, yeah?” 

“That would be preferred. Can we have a few beers and just talk about what happened today with you?”

“Sure.” 

Gladio and Mia sat on the edge of opposite beds, her legs fitting perfectly between his. They sat for about an hour, discussing the events of the day and the daemons that Gladio ran into. Mia had always been fascinated to hear the different types of daemons that lived outside the walls of her safe havens in Insomnia and Lestallum. She wanted to be prepared for anything so she constantly asked questions about how the group defeated each one and why it was important. Gladio would usually dismiss her at the end of it, telling her that she would not have to run into that situation if she stayed within the city limits. But, something about it still intrigued her so she continued to flood him with more questions. Either that or she was pushing away the inevitable conversation. 

The two consumed enough alcohol to where both felt a little fuzzy, but still completely coherent and aware of the situation that surrounded them. There was constant back and forth as they spoke but once the air shifted between them, Mia looked down at her beer can and swirled the contents for a sound to break the silence. Gladio slowly placed his empty can on the growing pile on the nightstand and folded his hands together. Mia could feel the electricity surge between his thighs and her knees, making her skin heat up. With a sigh, Gladio, leaned back on his hands and cleared his throat to force Mia’s gaze to meet his. 

“You want to go first or me, Mia?” 

Mia took the opportunity to contemplate. Choosing to go first would mean she would rip the bandaid off quicker but it would kill the entire mood of the room if he didn’t share the same feelings. She had practiced so much to herself in the past day that her words sat neatly at the tip of her tongue. All she had to do was begin to speak and the rest would naturally flow out of her. Taking the last sip of her beer, she placed it next to Gladio’s and slowly moved her knees closer inward away from him. Gladio immediately noticed and leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees. Their faces were inches away from each other. Far enough to where it wasn’t intimate but close enough to where they could feel each other’s breath glide over their lips.

“I’ll go first,” she decided, considering his calm red eyes. The only light was the faint glow of the lamps next to the beds. It softly revealed most of Gladio’s face, which had remained soft the entire time he spoke to her. Even when he was passionate about what he had to say, he never shifted in expression. 

“Okay. Take your time, okay? I am sure whatever you need to tell me is important but I don’t want you to rush it.” Gladio placed a hand over one of her thighs, a bit higher than she had wanted. Well, a bit higher than what she expected. His calloused thumb ran lightly against her skin as she took in a deep breath before starting. 

“So, first off, this is not easy at all. I don’t really know where to start. I guess, I’ll just start from the beginning. Uh, when we first met, I thought you were the coolest person. I knew that we instantly clicked and were going to be friends for a long time, despite what would happen to us when I was dating Nyx. You have been there for me in some of the worst situations I have ever gone through. You have wiped my tears when boys were mean to me. You have made sure I have gotten home safely. You have just been a great friend and I want to at least start there. I can’t imagine my life without you so what I am about to say is going to come off a little weird. I just don’t want us to stop being friends, okay?” 

“Tell you what,” Gladio’s grip tightened slightly on her leg to let her know he was listening. “How about we promise that no matter what we have to say that we will continue to mend our friendship until it’s back to normal again. Deal?” 

“Deal.” Mia smiled weakly before running a hand through her hair. 

“I can live with that. Go ahead, Princess.” 

“When I started to date Nyx, something weird happened. I was scared and I know we already talked about this and you forgive me for the mistakes I made with you. But, I couldn’t help but think that maybe I made an even bigger mistake by being with Nyx.” 

Gladio fought the urge to speak, biting his bottom lip tightly to stop the words from flowing. Ideas ran through his head, beginning with Nyx mistreating her. He did his best to force down his anger until she had finished. 

“I don’t regret being with Nyx, Gladdy. I really had a good time with him and he showed me a different side of Insomnia that I never would have had the opportunity to see. I am grateful for him, always. And I do miss him. I will always miss him. I’ll always love him.”

“But?”

“What happened when we started dating is what changed my view of you and I. I was questioning myself about it a lot. I didn’t know if this was the right choice for me. Over time, I did. I was confident in my decision to be with Nyx and I mean that. When I started seeing Nyx, I talked to Ignis about it. Ignis confirmed my suspicions I had but I denied it for months. I felt it was unfair to Nyx and unfair to you. So, I just kept pushing this voice out of my head and ignoring it. It started to affect my dreams and how I viewed you. How I viewed myself. When we stopped talking, it was insanely painful to me. More than it should have been, I think. And I found myself thinking of you and I in a way that I don’t think was healthy at the time.”

“Okay. How was it not healthy?” Gladio didn’t want to guess or assume since Mia couldn’t directly say what it was. He had an idea, but the wrong response could have pushed her away.

Mia was beating around the bush and she knew it. The more she spoke, the more she danced around saying exactly what she needed to. The sentence kept dying on her lips any time she approached it. But, she had to push through eventually. 

“It was unhealthy because I felt that I was being unfair to Nyx in our relationship for even considering it. When I came here, the feeling I had just continued to grow and spread through me every single day. I know that being separated from one another was not helping the situation but now that we’re okay for now, the situation has gotten worse. It’s really hard to just come out and say it, Gladdy. I know that we just promised we wouldn’t stop mending our friendship but I think of the relationships that have changed in our circle of friends when feelings change. I know that there is a rift between you and Noctis after you lectured him for his first trial. I know your sister and Noctis have a shift in their friendship because even without her saying a word, the whole room is filled with weird and awkward silences because everyone knows. Am I making sense?” 

“Mia, I get you’re worried. But, I promise no matter what this is, I am not going to treat you differently. I am scared, too, Mia. You mean the world to me. But, unless you tell me you’re the one who allowed Insomnia to fall? I can’t be mad at you. Even then, if you did, I would work through it with you. I promised.”

“Okay,” Mia took a minute to breathe, remembering everything she practiced. “The dreams I mentioned before, they were intimate. Extremely intimate.” She paused longer than she should have, giving Gladio a false cue to respond. 

“That’s normal, Mia. People have those dreams all the time. Sometimes for people they don’t have feelings for. It doesn’t make anything different and you’re not being fucking unfair to anyone. You’re not in charge of your subconscious -- “

“Gladdy, that’s not it. That’s the surface of it,” Once she started her practiced speech, it flew out of her in a string of rushed words and hurried language, “I, uh, so, I had these dreams about you. Normally, I would have brushed it off. I have had a sexual dream about Ignis before and that’s normal, like you said but yours made me wake up with confusing emotions that I couldn’t place. Nyx made the emotions go away for long periods of time because I was in love with him and I thought they were just weird instances and one off situations because I missed you. But, when you came to the trailer after Insomnia fell, Gladio, those emotions rushed out of me in a fierce flow. I could barely stop it from happening. I still can barely stop it from happening and I just, Gladdy, I…” 

“What is it, Princess?”

_Spit it out, Mia. Stop making it go longer._

“Gladio,” She leaned in closer, but still gave enough room between them. Now, she was noticeably shaking. Her fingers tapped against the sides of her. Gladio’s grip had loosened on her and his eyes darted back and forth to find what she was trying to say. “I took time to place those emotions and I,” She paused one more time before swallowing hard. “Gladio, I am in love with you. I always have been and I just --” 

Before Mia could get the words out, Gladio closed the gap between them while placing his hand at the back of her neck to gently pull her closer. Once his lips touched hers, the feeling of fear dissipated. After a few seconds, she relaxed into his lips and released a satisfied hum. The only sound that could be heard after was the deep inhale from Gladio, taking in her rose scent. The kiss was soft with barely an ounce of hunger or desperation. It was simply bliss for both Mia and Gladio.

Mia could feel her skin light on fire like it did when she woke from her dreams about him. She wanted to straddle him there, now, but she wouldn’t force anything outside of that perfect moment. The smell of leather danced through her senses as Gladio slowly pulled away before kissing her gently one more time. She wanted to speak but Gladio didn’t allow it. Just a few more moments of it was what he required before they even discussed what it was. 

It was becoming achingly difficult for Gladio to suppress the desire to express himself to her in the same way she had dreamed about. It had been a long time for him and not a day passed him by that he didn’t think of Mia in ways that seemed impossible. He could feel that this was what she wanted to tell him and in true Mia fashion, she barely could get the words out like he predicted. Once he heard her say it, his eyes shifted immediately to her lips and he leaned forward without even thinking. His hand, though gently pulling her to him, naturally traveled there. If he didn’t stop to take a breath, he wouldn’t be able to take her in as slow as he wanted to. 

Finally pulling away, Gladio breathed out hard. With his hand, still at the back of her neck, he pressed his forehead against hers. Without opening his eyes, he could feel her smile while catching her breath. She was no longer tense. 

“You have no fucking idea how long I have waited to hear you say that, Princess.” 

“I am glad I said something, Gladdy,” Mia laughed, pulling away to create slightly more distance. “But, now, I am curious to hear what you have to say.”


	6. No, I won't be the one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone!  
> I am *so* sorry this took as long as it did. I thought I posted the final chapter a bit ago but I was completely wrong! Imagine my shock when I opened up my dashboard to see 5/6 glaring at me. 
> 
> Sexy times are in this chapter and I have updated the tags for it as well. 
> 
> I may continue the series into a Comrades pieces, but we'll see :)  
> As always, you all are wonderful and amazing. Thank you so much for all your comments and kudos on this.

Gladio pulled back slowly and released his grip from the back of her neck. He sat there with his elbows on his thighs and his arms hanging below. The dull light from the hotel lamp still lit only half of his face. A smirk appeared in the area that wasn’t shrouded in darkness. Gladio’s deep brown eyes looked back at Mia who was still trying to maintain her focus. The kiss they shared was a sweet moment for both but Mia couldn’t stop there. She had to explore more of him and experience their shared secret. She watched him take in a deep inhale before a small chuckle escaped his lips. 

“You know what I am going to say, Mia.” 

“No, I meant, like…” She fumbled with the words. “What were you going to say? Like, if I didn’t tell you how I felt first. I am curious as to how you would have done it.” 

Gladio reached out both hands in front of him for her to take. Slowly but without an ounce of hesitation, Mia raised her hands until their fingers lined up. Gladio used to do something similar when they were friends where he would bend down the tops of his fingers to cover hers. This time, they sat together and pressed into one another gently. In quick move, Gladio shifted his hands to the right to interlace his fingers with hers. Before Mia could question anything, he had pulled her forward to him. He had tried to get her to sit in his lap but she ended up straddling him. Her legs were shaking slightly in nervousness as Gladio brought their linked hands to his lips to kiss her knuckles. All Mia could do was show a weak smile in response as she watched him carefully lay kisses on her finger joints. 

“You really want to know what I wanted to say?” He asked the question with sincerity while continuing to kiss along her fingers. 

“I think it’s fair. I spilled out my super awkward confession to you.” 

He chuckled. “It wasn’t super awkward. It was cute.”

“To you,” Mia paused, continuing to restrain herself while finding comfort in her mount. Her legs fit perfectly on either side of Gladio’s thighs. “But, now it’s your turn.” 

“You’re right, Princess,” When he looked up at her, his eyes were on fire. Bright red was now staring back at her. His gorgeous chocolate eyes had disappeared completely. With a gentle tug, he pulled Mia down to his lips again. She obliged and moved her hands to loop around his neck while he slinked an arm around her waist to support her. The kisses they exchanged were sweet and gentle even if both were doing their best to not succumb to their primal instincts. 

She pulled back before kissing him softly again. “So?” 

Gladio’s free hand moved down to gently play with the top of her shorts near her hips. His fingers moved slowly across her exposed stomach. When he slid his finger under the band of her shorts to feel bare skin instead of her panties, his deepened his kiss with her. Mia was happy to follow as her hands became entangled with his dark locks. The kisses were more desperate while their breaths quickened. 

Everything in the moment felt right.

Gladio pulled back to place his lips against Mia’s neck to start a trail down to her chest. With every kiss, he stopped briefly and spoke to her softly.

“When we first met, I instantly fell in love with you,” He kissed her neck again. “I couldn’t stop thinking of you. I couldn’t get you off my mind. You were so fucking gorgeous and I didn’t think for a second you would go out with an asshole like me,” He nipped at her clavicle before pausing. “And it was torture not being able to tell you.” 

Gladio raised his hand to cup her cheek while still supporting her against his opposite arm. Pulling her towards him, he kissed her over and over as if it was the last time he would be able to. When Mia started to feel comfortable in that position, his tongue ran slowly over her bottom lips to beg for entrance. Once his tongue slinked into her mouth, they were battling for dominance. Each kiss was more necessary than the last. When Mia pushed herself into him more, he started to feel faint. 

For a few moments, both felt it was too good to be true. Every second that they craved and desired one another unraveled as they kissed with complete urgency. Their desires were laid out completely on the table with no sense of judgement between. They wanted one another. They _needed_ one another. 

Gladio broke the kiss while rubbing his thumb against her cheek. His eyes were hazy from their embrace but he didn’t stop looking up at her. 

“Every boy you dated, I kept it in check. Every single fucking dude that hurt you, I fought to keep my feelings inside. I would have killed to have gone back to tell you when I should have. I was scared of losing us,” Mia’s hands fell from his dark hair to land casually around his neck as he continued, “When I found out about you and Nyx, Mia, I would be lying if I said that my feelings for you weren’t mixed up in the whole thing. I was jealous and I am sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize, Gladdy.” Mia placed a soft kiss to his temple. Their minutes of fierce passion had start to dwindle but neither of them minded. Gladio’s voice was just as important as Mia’s. She needed to hear everything that she could. All the times he hesitated with her made sense. The times she thought he was being weird all lead up to this moment. She had no idea that he was struggling with his emotions for her.

“I am not going to ruin the mood by telling you about what happened when I found out the City fell. But, I stood on that cliff outside of Insomnia and I prayed to all the Gods that you would be safe. When I found you again, all those feelings rushed back and fucking built up inside of me. I got fucking scared again. Ignis told me that I had to tell you and he was right. I pushed it off every day before that but I knew I had to tell you soon. Now, that we’re like this right now, I don’t know what I was ever afraid of. And there’s more but, I think we can wait a little bit longer to discuss it.” 

Mia didn’t speak. She looked over his face and watched it change as he confessed to her. Her hands found their way to the back of his head again as she ran her thumbs over the shaved sides. He was raw for all of it. Gladio had been emotional before but nothing close to what he was now. Mia saw this side of Gladio in small flashes throughout their friendship but he would dismiss it and refocus the conversation. As big of a brute as he was, he was still loving and passionate when he spoke. There was no denying how genuine he was being and it made Mia want him even more. Instead of responding to him through words, she leaned down to kiss him and start the entire process over. 

It didn’t take long for Gladio to have his lips against her neck again only this time he kissed her hungrily. Feeling his lips against her skin forced a soft moan out of her lips. Their embrace was no longer something out of a fairytale. It was becoming critical for them to express themselves physically as deeply as they could to one another. When Mia playfully tugged on his long strands of hair until his head rolled back. Gladio released a soft growl before pulling her closer to him to glide his tongue over what was exposed of her chest. Frustrated, he yanked down on her tank with another growl. Without saying a word, Mia peeled off the tank and bra and tossed it to the side of them with no care in what direction it went. 

Mia leaned back slightly with her arms around his neck to create space between them. Gladio’s eyes explored her unprotected top half of her body. He made sure he caught every curve, every mark, and every corner that he could before placing a palm on her breast. The feeling of his calloused fingers made Mia’s breath hitch as he slowly massaged her. A rough thumb started to run over her nipple before his lips latched on in its place. His tongue swirled around the hardened bud with a few scattered bites between. Gladio’s head was pressed deeper into her chest as she released another moan into the empty hotel room. He didn’t stop. Tasting her skin was something he had been dying to do for far too long. Before she could get accustomed to where he was, he shifted to her other mound to bathe her skin with his tongue. 

Involuntarily, Mia’s hips started to move against his lap. The thin fabric of her shorts and his jeans was starting to become too much for her to handle. She could feel his member grow slowly under her and quickened her pace in response. Although there were barriers, the feeling of grinding her pussy down on him felt so perfect that her toes were starting to curl. Gladio pulled back from her with a ‘pop’ to press a cheek against her chest. 

“Fuck,” He hissed. “Fuck, Mia.” The hand that was snaked around her was now tightening and his nails dug deep into her ribs. The pain didn’t distract Mia as she continued to gyrate against his covered cock. Her head started to feel fuzzy while her speed started to get faster. 

Before she could even come close to erupting, Gladio flipped her over and onto the bed in one quick move. He stood until he was at his full length and quickly removed his tank top and jeans.  
Mia sat up until her face was inches away from his manhood. Her eyes traveled up to meet his, looking for any sign of regret. When she couldn’t locate anything else, she reached up to swiftly pull down his boxers. The fabric pooled on the floor and left Gladio completely vulnerable. His length was more than she had experienced before with a small pool of precum forming at the tip. Mia took a few seconds to study him and take in all the things that made him different from the men she was with before. It was easy for Gladio to watch her curiosity. She had to have felt somewhat similar in the whole thing. They both had been with people before but this was _different_. The carefree nature of one-night stands was gone. There were consequences to everything they did and both were extremely careful in making sure that the other was comfortable. Gladio kept his gaze on her as she looked up at him one more time. He considered cracking a joke about himself to make her laugh but didn’t get the chance to. 

Grabbing his shaft, Mia leaned forward to lick the precum that had formed with a flat tongue. She didn’t hesitate to take him completely into her mouth and run her lips up and down his length. Gladio’s ran a hand through her hair and wrapped it between his fingers. He couldn’t stop his breathless moans as she continued to devour every inch of him. Her tongue spiraled and twisted up and down his shaft as he resisted the overwhelming urge to thrust into her. Mia hollowed her cheeks while admiring what her work was doing to him. Gladio groaned when her nails raked against the inside of his thigh with a light red trail to follow behind them. She didn’t stop when he pulled hard on her hair. She didn’t stop when he started to lose his balance. She didn’t even stop when his nails dug deep into her shoulders. If anything, it encouraged her. The more that Mia worked his appendage, the more Gladio wanted to possess her completely. He could spend all day seeing the different tricks that Mia could show him with her mouth and tongue, but he wanted her right then and there. 

“Princess,” He huffed, pushing her back gently. “While this feels _fucking_ good? I am not about to finish yet.” 

He didn’t need to say it for her to understand. The nervousness that they had earlier had disappeared and before Mia could press her back against the bed again, he was tearing off her shorts and throwing them behind his head. Once her sweet scent filled the air, his desire to taste her started to take priority. Leaning over her, he placed one hand next to her head for support while his other hand slid down the center of her chest and over her stomach. Before she knew it, Gladio’s hand was sliding between her thighs to feel how wet she was. She bit her bottom lip and waited patiently for him to continue to move. 

His fingers started to work through her slick folds. A few seconds passed before Mia’s silence broke by pitiful cries as Gladio slid a digit into her entrance and used his thumb to rub her clit. 

“Gods, you’re so wet for me, Princess,” He mused, looking back up at her. “Do you always get this wet when you think of me?” Gladio’s tongue curled over the nipple closest to his lips instead of allowing her to answer. His hot breath was rolling over her skin and it made her shudder. 

The knot in her stomach was tightening. She could feel herself getting closer every time Gladio sped up his thrusting or pressed a little bit harder on her nub. Mia’s moans were reward for how deep Gladio’s fingers were nestled into her heat. He moved up to press a kiss against her lips while still working the lower half of her. They were both drenched in sweat from the Lestallum summer and their overwhelming need for one another. The faster Gladio moved his fingers, the louder Mia’s moans became. Neither of them cared about their neighbors or the people that walked under the hotel room balcony. Being quiet was the last thing on their mind. 

“Please, Gladio.” She was breathless between her different sounds. 

“Please what, Princess?” 

“Please take me.” 

It was like music to his ears. Never in a million years would he think to hear the words from her lips. He had dreamed of it before, but hearing it against his ears in lustful tones made it much better. He didn’t remove his fingers while he began another trail of kisses against her neck towards her ear. After tugging on her lobe between his teeth, his tongue ran over the curve. 

“Take you, claim you, or let you ride me, Princess?” His voice was husky against her. He wanted to give her as many options as possible. “Because once you pick one, I am not going to stop.”

She answered without hesitation, “Take me, Gladdy, please. I want to see your face.” 

After taking his fingers out of her, she groaned at the withdrawal. Before Gladio climbed over her, he took a minute to lick one of his fingers dry with a smile. She tasted intoxicating against his tongue and he reminded himself how drunk he could get if she gave him the chance to. Now, she was begging for him and he wasn’t going to deny her of what she asked for. They moved together effortlessly until Gladio’s throbbing cock was lined up with her entrance. 

He waited for a signal to continue from her. When she nodded, he entered her slowly and pulled back even slower. It had been a bit since Mia had sex so he was careful in how quickly he stretched her out. Mia was impatient, wrapping her legs tightly around him and thrusting her hips to command him to move quicker. Gladio ignored her request and only picked up his velocity over time. The slow movement was almost painful for both but Gladio wasn’t planning on hurting her in that moment. He had to make sure she adjusted before taking her for his own. 

When he made a faster tempo, he experimented with how hard he thrusted into her. Every time he filled her, he pushed a little bit harder. His eyes glanced over her reaction, trying to make sure his speed was sufficient. Mia had finally relaxed into the mattress when her legs tightened even more around him and when her hips grinded harder into him. He took that as the perfect signal to speed up his pace and start slamming into her as if it was his last night on Eos. 

The mixture of their moans and the sound of skin against skin echoed inside the walls. Gladio felt incredible inside Mia and every single thrust was better than the last. His rhythm blended perfectly with hers. The familiar feeling coiling inside of her was becoming unbearable as she continued to take every inch of him. Her nails raked hard against his shoulders but she couldn’t be bothered to notice the marks she left across his tattoos. 

“Gods, you’re so fucking beautiful like this.” Gladio was barely able to speak over her loud moans. She felt better than he anticipated. She was warm and soaked through her entire core. The bed creaked under them as Mia grabbed for fistfuls of the comforter. Both of their hearts were pounding quickly against their chests as the sounds around them became muted. They were in the moment with one another and nothing else truly mattered. Her folds enveloped him tightly, not wanting to let go of him. If she could ask the Gods for anything, it would be to savor this moment. 

As they both finally reached the peak of their orgasm, Mia screamed his name and plastered it against the faded walls. A grunt escaped Gladio’s lips as his final plunges became more erratic. He pulled out just before he exploded and came in thick ropes directly onto her stomach. Mia couldn’t even feel it as she trembled through the slow descent from her climax. Gladio rolled over, taking a minute to catch his breath, and to capture the moment in his mind to hold onto. They didn’t speak when Gladio rose to grab a washcloth from the hotel bathroom to clean off Mia’s stomach. 

She laid there with her legs dangling off the bed and kept her eyes up at the ceiling. It was everything she had hoped for. She finally could express her feelings to Gladio. It felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders completely. Hearing him begin his confession was enough for Mia right in that moment. She wanted to hear more about his feelings towards her but she didn’t want to waste all of it. It gave her hope that he would come back from his travels to tell her more. They would be separated by morning and she tried her best to make sure that she didn’t think about it. She wanted to be with Gladio in the space that they made for themselves now. 

Gladio returned from the bathroom to swoop Mia up into his arms and place her down on the bed to make room for himself. He wrestled with the comforter and threw it over both of their naked bodies. She managed to find the energy to move to lay her head on his chest and used one finger to start drawing shapes across his skin. Gladio planted kisses against her forehead while she continued and neither of them broke the comforting silence. They stayed in their positions for about half an hour before Mia reached to wrap her arms around him. 

“You are fucking incredible, Princess.” 

“You weren’t so bad yourself. I hope this isn’t a one-time gig.” 

Gladio laughed into her hair. “I would love to do that again with you. Over and over until we can’t walk, preferably.”

“Next time.” She stifled a yawn. 

As soon as the words escaped her, their bodies grew tense. Neither of them wanted to talk about next time because there was no promise of tomorrow. 

“You know I have to go tomorrow. I don’t want to ruin this perfect fucking evening, but I needed to say it.” Gladio was first to say what they both were thinking. 

“I know. I just don’t want to think about it.”

“I promise when we get back from Altissa that I’ll be here. I’ll stay with you as long as I can. We’re almost done with this and then we can go home. It shouldn’t be longer than a week, okay?” 

“Okay.” Mia didn’t doubt him but she was realistic. Every single day that would pass her would be painful but would get easier in time. Like Nyx, Gladio stuck his neck out in Eos and had royalty to protect. She promised herself she wouldn’t grow attached again, but her heart had other plans for her. Mia would need to make a name for herself now and learn to live without him. But, during this current evening, the feeling of his warm skin against hers was enough to get her by. 

“Mia?”

“Hm?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Gladdy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued (maybe!) . . .


End file.
